Jharkhand: Behavioural Course for MBBS Interns at government medical colleges

The government will ensure that the nonprofit organizations involved in the project have veteran doctors and medical experts on their panels

Ranchi: A ‘behavioural course’ for students in government-run medical colleges in collaboration with non-profit organizations was announced by the state’s Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department last week.

Principal Secretary, Nidhi Khare said, "We are introducing respectful treatment as part of the curriculum for interns working at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims). This will be later extended to all state-run medical colleges."

"Students will undergo training programs conducted by specialized non-profit organizations that are working with people from different communities and economic backgrounds to enhance social skills," she further added to the TOI.

The government will ensure that the nonprofit organizations involved in the project have veteran doctors and medical experts on their panels.

Having run the course at RIMS, the department will do a re-run of the course at Pataliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH)
and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (Jamshedpur).

Speaking about an effort being made by the government towards developing empathy among medical students towards their patient, Khare said students will be given lessons on how to behave with patients and their relatives. "The students must show some empathy towards patients," she emphasized.

RIMS, Acting Director, R K Srivastava said the project also involved student exposure to rural areas to get a feel of the people’s culture there and to understand the problems of the people they are to serve in the future.

The behavioural course is also being run with the idea of improving the image of medical institutions, which often draw flak for angry and sometimes violent exchanges with the patients and their families.

RIMS witnessed an indefinite strike by 700 doctors in February when an altercation between some doctors and patient relatives took place. Work came to a standstill in the out-patient department of the 1,100-bedded hospital.