Specialists to Meet Requirement of Cardiac Patients in NER

Public health and hospitals being a State subject, the primary responsibility to ensure availability of doctors including in North Eastern Region (NER), lies with the respective State Governments. Availability of doctors in public health sector varies from state to state depending upon their policies and context. However, Under National Health Mission (NHM), financial and technical support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including support for recruitment of doctors on contractual basis, based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) within their overall resource envelope. Further, the data regarding number of Cardiologist in North Eastern Region of the country is not maintained centrally. Furthermore, as per Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 of Medical Council of India (MCI), DM Cardiology and DM Pediatric Cardiology are available in the country with an intake capacity of 397 post graduate seats. Further, National Board of Examination (NBE) is running Diplomate of National Board (DNB) seats in Cardiology and Fellowship (FNB) in Interventional Cardiology. Presently, there are 211 DNB seats in Cardiology and 34 seats in Fellowship (FNB) in Interventional Cardiology.

Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology has not been prescribed in Medical Council of India’s Post Graduate Medical Education Regulation, 2000. However, with a view to curb the shortage of doctors in the Country, the Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Establishment of new medical colleges attached with district/referral hospitals in 82 districts in under-served areas in the country with fund sharing between the Central Government and States in the ratio of 90:10 for NE/special category states and 60:40 for other states. In the said scheme 9 medical colleges have been approved in North Eastern Region and 2 have become functional. The Ministry also runs a scheme to grant assistance to Government Medical Colleges to start new PG courses/ increase PG seats. The cost ceiling per seat is Rs. 1.2 crore shared between Centre and States on 90:10 pattern for NE/ Special category States.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), ShAshwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.