Banning postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctors from performing surgical and anaesthetic procedures by themselves in the state-run Midnapore Medical College Hospital (MMCH) has triggered controversy among the medical fraternity.

A section of medics, including gynaecologists and obstetricians in the city raised questions saying, “The restrictions imposed by the MMCH authorities sound good but are the senior faculties always available during surgical procedures?”

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“Senior doctors, mainly medical teachers in most of the government medical colleges are busy with private practices leaving their jobs to juniors during surgeries particularly gynaecology and obstetrics departments in public healthcare facilities. The maternal mortality rate among young mothers is high in the state owing to this system,” felt one retired director of medical education (DME).

“The health department should make it mandatory for teaching doctors to perform surgeries, whether major or minor, in government hospitals otherwise maternal deaths will go up. So far I have heard, juniors along with technicians had performed caesarean operations on mothers at MMCH and seniors were not there during the procedures one after another,” he said requesting anonymity.

“Postgraduate students of broad and super speciality degree courses shall maintain a dynamic e-log book which needs to be updated on a weekly basis about the work being carried out by them and the training programme undergone during the period of training. MS/M.Ch students shall mandatorily enter details of surgical procedures assisted or done independently,” NMC guidelines for PGT doctors stated.

“The notice issued by the MMCH principal is not rational in approach at a time when senior faculties are not adequate in terms of required number in government medical colleges. Junior doctors like PGTs, house staff and interns bear a major workload in government healthcare facilities. We demand the authorities to withdraw the notice immediately otherwise medical education will be affected badly,” Dr Kabiul Haque attached with Calcutta Heart Research Centre.

“How can a PGT student learn about surgeries after completion of three years’ MD/MS course if he or she is not allowed to take part in surgical and anaesthetic process?” he raised questions.

One of the 13-member inquiry committee formed by the state government to probe the death of the 25-year-old young mother and severe illness of four other mothers, who were administered with the controversial Ringer Lactate (RL) intravenous fluids during their caesarean operations at MMCH last week also expressed displeasure with the college authorities’ order banning PGT students from performing surgeries by themselves.

On 13 January, the MMCH issued the notice stating, “As per the directive of the health department no surgical & anaesthetic procedure should be done by Post Graduate themselves. All faculty of Anaesthesiology, OBS & Gynae, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology & ENT Departments are hereby directed that all surgical procedures must be done by the Faculty/Bed in charge, SR with MD/MS degree. Surgical procedures not to be done by PGTs/ JRs by themselves. If PGTs perform O T by themselves then it will be treated as punishable offences. In such cases disciplinary action will be taken.”