Form three-level grievance redressal committees for medical students, suggests NMC

The National Medical Commission has suggested setting up of grievance redressal committees at three levels – medical college or institute, university, and Directorate of Medical Education or health and medical education department of a state, involving senior functionaries. The advisory comes in the backdrop of the need for a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism at various levels for medical students and related persons.

The commission has also asked the medical colleges and health education departments to provide the details of the panels on their websites and maintain the records of the received and resolved grievances. Furthermore, colleges and universities have been advised to create and display a web-portal address and to provide a link for students to register their grievances online.

NMC noted that it has been receiving grievances from medical students, their guardians, and others from the community regarding the issues faced by them in the academic and clinical training. The grievances include excess fee charged by colleges, delay in payment of stipend or non-payment of stipend, ragging or harassment, internship-related issues, faculty or college staff-related issues, disciplinary matters, health and safety concerns. Academic issues related to curriculum, attendance, teaching methods, examinations, assessment, etc. also arise, the commission found.

NMC grievance redressal mechanism

The commission affirmed that most of these grievances can be resolved at the college or university level itself. If still left unresolved, they can be redressed by appropriate intervention of the directorate or medical education department of the state concerned. If a grievance requires intervention at the NMC level, it may be escalated to the commission for necessary resolution.

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NMC provides a web portal for lodging the unresolved grievances. Students may register themselves on the portal and submit their grievances accordingly.

“All out efforts are to be made by the stakeholders for effective and speedy resolutions of the grievances of the students/stakeholders with an endeavor that all the grievances are attended to at the levels from where the grievances emanate,” said the commission while issuing the advisory.