The fresh guidelines of the National Medical Commission (NMC) leave out pulmonology department (speciality) as a requirement for establishment and commencement of new medical colleges.
According to the updated regulations released on August 16, all medical colleges established from the academic session 2024-25 onwards are required to feature 21 departments within their MBBS programmes. However, the pulmonology department doesn’t find a place in the new scheme of things.
The absence of pulmonology among these 21 departments has drawn criticism from doctors who assert that the government has overlooked a crucial medical field. Concerns have been raised that the burden of this omission could be borne by other departments that might not possess the required expertise to effectively address respiratory issues.
