Posted By :  Admin1

FORDA emphasized that doctors should not be allowed to work as ICU doctors solely based on certificate courses or experience in critical care settings. According to the guidelines issued by the director general of health services (DGHS) in December last year, ICU doctors should possess specific training, certification, or at least three years of quantifiable ICU experience, including post-MBBS experience in critical care settings. This month, FORDA conveyed in letters to the Union health ministry, DGHS, and the medical education regulator National Medical Commission (NMC) that doctors who have pursued recognized super-specialties and undergone comprehensive training should not be equated with those who have received shorter-duration training after MBBS. FORDA president Dr. Aviral Mathur expressed concerns, stating, "We feel this is a slippery slope because, based on our experience, there are thousands of setups claiming to be ICUs lacking the necessary infrastructure or facilities." Mathur questioned, "If the ICU setting itself is inappropriate or inadequate, how can doctors working in such environments pass as intensivists (critical care specialists) after only a few years of experience?" 

The letter emphasized, "In the era of the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS), where a rigorous six-year course duration is typically required for super-specialization in India, we urge the NMC and the health ministry to consider the potential impact on opportunities for candidates pursuing six-year courses to become proper super-specialists." A panel comprising critical care specialists from government and private hospitals across India formulated the ICU guidelines. Dr. Raj K. Mani, a senior critical care specialist who participated in the panel, dismissed FORDA's concerns, stating that it marks the first time the criteria for an ICU doctor have been defined in the country. "Some hospitals have Ayush or traditional medicine doctors staffing ICUs due to a severe shortage of critical care specialists," he informed ThePrint. "In the absence of qualified ICU doctors, I don't see an issue with MBBS doctors who have critical care experience working in ICUs," he remarked. He also noted that some doctors might be overlooking the ground realities or misinterpreting the ICU guidelines. The FORDA letter followed a request from the Medico-Legal Society of India, a group of doctors assisting others from the fraternity in medico-legal cases, urging the government to retract the ICU guidelines. The Medico-Legal Society of India raised objections to the ICU guidelines, citing concerns about the potential deterioration of trust between patients and doctors. They specifically criticized a guideline that stipulates critically ill patients should not be admitted to ICUs if they or their next of kin refuse intensive treatment, or if they have conditions with a treatment limitation plan indicating that ICU interventions would not be beneficial. According to the society, this guideline implies unnecessary admissions to ICUs. Their objections were outlined in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office. Despite making multiple calls to Health Secretary Apurva Chandra to inquire about the government's review of the guidelines, ThePrint did not receive any response. This report will be updated accordingly if and when a response is received.