The Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) has issued guidelines under the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, along with the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulation-2023. This notification was issued on January 15, 2024.
These guidelines, named the “Minimum Standard of Requirements for Postgraduate Courses-2023 (PGMSR-2023),” are set to be implemented with immediate effect.
Key Highlights of PGMSR-2023:
- General Requirements for Postgraduate Medical Institutes:
- The guidelines emphasize that institutions conducting both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching must meet the minimum requirements for undergraduate training as prescribed by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) in the UG-MSR document.
- Additionally, these institutions are required to fulfill specific additional requirements for postgraduate training.
- Hospital Infrastructure and Operations:
- The hospital building must adhere to national building norms and local statutory regulations, considering various aspects such as administration, records storage, outpatient and inpatient areas, operating theaters, and more.
- All mandatory regulatory approvals and clearances should be obtained from relevant administrative authorities, state, and central governments.
- Department-Specific Requirements:
- Departments like Radio-diagnosis, Anaesthesia, Pathology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry are expected to increase faculty, infrastructure, and staff proportionate to the number of beds in the hospital.
- Adequate in-house equipment, training facilities, digital libraries, and seminar halls with high-speed internet are mandated.
- Occupancy and Specialized Units:
- Eighty percent of hospital beds should be occupied throughout the year by patients requiring inpatient care.
- Minimum 15% of total beds in the department imparting postgraduate training should be Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds or High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds.
- Faculty and Academic Facilities:
- Full-time faculty members are required, and engaging in private practice during college hours is prohibited.
- Departments must have well-equipped air-conditioned Blood Banks capable of providing component therapy.
- Technology and Security Measures:
- Close Circuit Cameras and a college website containing detailed departmental information are mandatory.
- Additional Requirements for Standalone Post-graduate Institutes:
- These institutions must have a minimum of 220 beds and include specific functional departments like Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology, Radio-Diagnosis, and Anaesthesiology.
The PGMEB’s PGMSR-2023 guidelines aim to ensure the highest standards in postgraduate medical education, focusing on infrastructure, faculty, technology, and overall quality of training.
