A task force of the National Medical Council (NMC) has recommended that the pay scale and retirement policies of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, be implemented for all medical professionals across India, reports PTI. The goal is to ensure equity and enhance job satisfaction for all medicos.
The report by the 'National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students' states the need for standardisation, similar to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) pay scales across all medical institutions.
The task force stated that "...interns, post-graduate students, senior residents, super-specialty students, and medical teachers should be compensated according to the AIIMS, New Delhi pay scale across all medical colleges, regardless of whether they are private, public, state, central, deemed university, or any other type of institution."
For medical students
"Insufficient stipends that don't match living costs or workload, coupled with delays in payments, create significant financial instability for medical students. The lack of a uniform stipend policy leads to disparities between states and types of institutions (government and private). There should be a uniform policy for stipends across states and institutions to ensure fair compensation," the task force said, reports PTI.
They argued for a uniform policy for stipends across all states and institutions to ensure fair compensation, adjusted for market inflation.
The task force warned that delays and insufficient stipends could have serious repercussions on public healthcare and called for proactive implementation of fair stipend policies to prevent student strikes.
To support professional development, the task force also recommended the establishment of mentor-mentee programmes, in line with NMC regulations. These programmes should include regular meetings, mentor training, and support for mentees.Quality education assurance
To ensure the highest quality of medical education, the report also proposed prohibiting private practice for medical teachers, states PTI.
“Standardising pay scales, retirement, and rotational headship policies across institutions ensures equity and attracts high-quality faculty. Prohibiting private practice for medical teachers and providing non-practicing allowances can maintain the quality and integrity of education," it said.
The report further asserted that aligning the pay scale with that of AIIMS, Delhi, would prevent medical teachers from compromising their teaching duties, thereby, maintaining the integrity of education.
The task force further added, "The current retirement policy for medical faculty is inconsistent and disorganised.”
Additionally, the task force recommended a non-practising allowance for medical teachers who dedicate their time exclusively to teaching and academic duties, enhancing their focus on education and research.
Another key recommendation in the report was the implementation of a rotational headship system for department heads to encourage new ideas and prevent toxic environments due to inefficient leadership.
It further said that it was imperative to introduce the New Pension Scheme across all medical colleges.
Finally, the report suggested that at the national level, a permanent member of the NMC's Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) should oversee the implementation of these recommendations. &
