It is a fact that throughout India there has been consistent shortage of PG seats and despite population explosion we still had no plan in place for creating more PG seats for increasing specialised doctors. Present GoI understood the present problem and future staring crisis and increased PG seats but still demand and supply are world apart. This is further complicated with the Ukraine-Russia war as some small percentage of students do go there for PG Degrees. This problem is in addition to COVID lockdown problem due to which also students going abroad for PG couldn’t go. Keeping in view of all this GoI from 2019 allocated more seats under Diplomate of National Board. Jammu and Kashmir was not allotted any additional seat but now keeping in view of acute shortage of faculty in GMCs, District Hospitals and even Super Specialty Hospitals, GoI did proper analysis of present situation and to avoid further complications, immediately allocated 264 more seats through DNB. Established in 1975, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences conducts Postgraduate and Postdoctoral courses of uniform nation standards in 30 streams of medicine. Doctorate of National Board is a Post-graduate Masters Degree equivalent to MD/MS degrees as awarded to Specialist Doctors in India after three year residency. These degrees are equivalent to Doctorate of Medicine (DM) and Master of Chirurgiae (MCh). These courses are run in reputed Government, trust, private hospitals accredited by board and in Medical Colleges recognised by Medical Council of India. These degrees are very much recognised by GoI through Gazette Notifications and separate notification by Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
All said and done allocation of 264 seats to Jammu and Kashmir is a big leap in improving healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir. As per list, bulk of 186 seats allocated for Kashmir Division and one for Leh. Hospitals who are majority share holders of latest PG seats are GMC Bramulla 34 seats, GMC & Associated Hospitals Anantnag 53 seats, GMC Srinagar 31 seats, 20 seats to SKIMS Soura, 20 seats to GMC Kathua, 15 seats to GMC Jammu, 12 seats to Gandhi Nagar Hospital Jammu, 17 seats to JLNMH Srinagar. Almost every district have got seats. This all is being done in Phase 1 and more seats are expected in Phase 2.
Beauty of new DNB allocation is that 50 percent seats are reserved for local working doctors, giving them a lifetime opportunity to get PG Degrees while working. Outside UT doctors are inaccessible, earlier due to Article 370 and right now terrorism, specifically Kashmir valley. Even Jammu Division based Narayana Hospital, Katra is also consistently facing Outside Specialised Doctors stigma, outside UT doctors join but after some time they leave. With these DNB seats more local doctors will get specialised degrees and more retention of talent will be there to serve people of Jammu and Kashmir. Credit goes to GoI and LG, it’s indeed a historic moment, in fact, a ‘Master Stroke’ for Jammu and Kashmir Healthcare.
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