Five dist hospitals to have DNB courses soon

Hyderabad: To increase the number of qualified specialists in peripheral areas, very shortly the National Board of Examinations (NBE) is going to give permission to start Diplomate of National Board (DNB) courses in five district hospitals in the State.

According to officials, the government has already sent a proposal for starting of DNB courses in district hospitals and area hospitals. The NBE has to give DNB accreditations to the district hospitals which is similar to Medical Council of India (MCI) inspection. Based on accreditation, the DNB courses will be started in these hospitals.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr K Ramesh Reddy, Director of Medical Education, said recently discussion was held with Dr Abhijat Sheth, President NBE, and found out the difficulties being faced by the stakeholders at the starting level. “NBE pointed out faculty problem. In view of this, the president told us that they would provide some alternative methods for finding the faculty. The NBE will provide some agencies to provide books and journals at very competitive price. Unlike medical colleges which procure books and journals, investing such things is difficult for district hospitals,” he said. Dr Ramesh Reddy said the NBE wanted to encourage Telangana to start DNB courses in district hospitals and already the courses had been started in King Koti Hospital, Hyderabad. Soon, Sangareddy District Hospital, Tandur District Hospital in Vikarabad district, Khammam District Hospital, Karimnagar District Hospital and Nalgonda District Hospital will start DNB courses, he said.

“Our main concentration is on Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG), Paediatric, Orthopaedic, Anaesthesiology, General Medicine and General surgery,” he said and added that these were the basic departments needed at peripheral level especially for the maternal and child health centres (MCH centres). The MCH centres needed OBG, Paediatric and Anaesthesiology specialists, he said. On DNB course, he said it was very effective course, considered equivalent to Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) courses. “As we know, there will be restrictions of increasing the number of PG courses in medical colleges. We have already started 18 DBN seats in a year in Nizamabad Medical College. Same will be started in Mahbubnagar also,” he said.

Dr Ramesh Reddy said all district hospitals above 200-bed capacity or 100-bed single specialties can apply for DNB courses. 

“The cost of starting these courses will be very less and PG courses can be started directly without having medical college. Only they need an MoU with the existing medical college,” he said.