The body also raised the point where students often have to travel overseas to pursue their dreams.
As per FORDA, lowering the cut-off score will ensure a greater number of eligible candidates who will get the opportunity to fill the vacant seats.
A body of resident doctors’ Associations called The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) has requested the Centre to reduce the cut-off marks for the NEET PG 2023 exam. On Friday, the body made the appeal in a letter to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The FORDA said in its letter over the past few years, the country has witnessed challenges in the form of vacancies in medical institutions across the nation despite multiple rounds of counselling for NEET PG. “This is a matter of great concern not only for the health care system but also for aspiring medical professionals who are eager to contribute to a nation’s health infrastructure.”
The body “humbly requested” the authorities to consider the possibility of lowering the cut-off score for the NEET PG 2022 examination. As per FORDA, lowering the cut-off score will ensure a greater number of eligible candidates who will get the opportunity to fill the vacant seats.
Previously, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote to the Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya demanding up to 30 per cent cut-off percentile, so that the seats can be filled by both clinical and non-technical branches. It claimed that this will ensure an increase in the number of doctors who can enrol for postgraduate programmes in various medical colleges across the country, and in this way, there will be not a single vacancy remaining.
The IMA reminded the Center of the relentless servitude of the doctors during the COVID waves on the country was in a state of emergency and people were dying. The doctor stepped in for relentless hours of hard work. “The time has come for the administration to recognise them for their selfless service by reducing the cut-off marks for NEET PG 2023,” it said.
The body also raised the point where students often have to travel overseas to pursue their dreams. It wrote that due to high cut-off scores, aspiring medical students not only get prevented from entering post-graduation but are compelled to travel abroad to pursue their post-graduation, which depletes the medical manpower pool in India. The board urged the Centre that the country cannot afford to lose “these precious gems” at a time when the country needs a medical army to protect its citizens.