The Need for an Ombudsman in the Indian Medical Education and Health System: A Medical Teacher’s Perspective

TL;DR

This paper argues for introducing ombudsman services in Indian medical colleges to address issues affecting education quality and student competency.

Contribution

The paper proposes the novel application of ombudsman services in Indian medical education to improve institutional fairness and standards.

Findings

Disparities in infrastructure and faculty across medical colleges negatively impact education quality.

Current regulatory measures by the National Medical Commission are insufficient to address systemic issues.

Ombudsman services, successful in other sectors, could help resolve conflicts and improve institutional governance.

Abstract

The Government of India's (GOI) initiatives to increase the number of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) graduates by establishing more and more medical colleges have been showing their repercussions. There are several doubts over the quality of medical education (ME) and the competency of MBBS graduates. In addition, the National Medical Commission (NMC), the body that regulates ME and medical practice in India, has been busy ensuring the uniformity of ME standards by conducting regular inspections. The NMC ensures infrastructure, faculty, and patient availability before permitting colleges to admit students. Several issues are plaguing faculty, students, and other personnel working in medical colleges, which could potentially influence the educational environment (EE) and the competency of graduating students. Evidence of disparity in infrastructure, faculty, and EE in medical colleges confirms the necessity of holistic improvements. Therefore, it is suggested that the NMC utilize ombudsman services in medical institutions, which have been successfully implemented in the banking and insurance sectors.

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