Health Ministry to restructure the MBBS curriculum

June 28: The Union Health Ministry in order to make the rural health service more efficient may restructure the curriculum of MBBS. In the purposed scheme a MBBS student has to spend a one-year compulsory rural service either in the community health centre or public health care units.

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The new national curriculum is set to finalise in the next couple of weeks after consultation with state governments. As the acute shortage of rural health is one of the prime concerns these days it seems a good idea for providing better health service in rural areas.

Few months back the Medical Council of India (MCI) had forwarded a proposal of 6-months extension in the medical curriculum but the government comes with a one year plan. This entire one-year will be dedicated to rural service and students need to spend at least 6 months in any rural areas at their final segment of study.

As per the new curriculum a student has to spend almost seven years for a MBBS degree compared to the five and half year at present. Though the medical fraternity has welcomed the new proposal but some senior professionals have cited the modification of degree structure.

According to Manash Ranjan, a final year student of MKCG Medical College Orissa, if a student is going to spend seven years then at the end of the study, s/he should be awarded a Post Graduate MD degree along with the normal bachelors.

However, the new step is necessary to meet the demands of rural health sector especially in most of the backward regions. If this plan comes into effect, the government needs to establish more hospitals in rural areas so that more students can come forward and serve. Certainly the new step looks to meet the dearth of medical professionals in the countryside areas.