New Delhi, April 12 -- In a first, the National Medical Commission (NMC) announced on Friday that voluntary medical duty during the upcoming Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand will be counted as part of District Residency Programme, which is mandatory for postgraduate medical students.
While some doctors welcomed the move as a valuable learning opportunity, others criticised it, perceiving it to be motivated by "religious beliefs".
However, NMC chairman Dr BN Gangadhar said participation of PG medical students is voluntary. Under DRP, which was made mandatory by NMC from 2021, PG medical students must complete three months of service in district health systems to gain hands-on experience.
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