The Medical Council of India(MCI) has recently revamped the MBBS curriculum. Communication as a subject for medical education is scheduled to be introduced this year in the new curriculum. But, according to the doctors, this measure is a classic example of misdirected action.
The main aim behind the plan in bringing communication skills as a part of the medical curriculum was to address the growing communication gap between patients and doctors. The subject is meant to help MBBS students learn the basics of medical ethics and learn nuances of the doctor-patient relationship. At present medical professionals do not get any of such soft sill training. Yet, they blame lack of basic infrastructure and the workload to be the main reasons behind the repeated incidents of attacks against the doctors in government hospitals. “Attacks on doctors are due to administrative failure by the government and not due to a lack of communication skills. When patients come here, there are no stretchers, no medication and no wheelchairs. The government is encouraging corporate hospitals at the cost of primary healthcare. How will communication help in this circumstance? Without addressing the basic lapses, MCI just wants to do fancy things. It is just an eyewash to fool citizens,” said Dr PS Vijayender Goud, president Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA).
“Nuances of dealing with sensitive situations are learnt during practice by observing seniors’ reactions during such situations. Now, with a large number of undergraduate and postgraduate seats, there is an imbalance between the number of faculty and medical students, making it impossible to learn anything,” added a junior doctor working at the state-run Osmania General Hospital (OGH). He also said that communication has to be learnt in practice rather than as a subject.
At the same time, the state health department has already begun preparations to introduce communication as a subject this year.

Source: Times of India

   Send article as PDF