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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

profession. According to the IMA, the
NMC will “cripple” the functioning of
the medical profession by making it
completely answerable to the
National Medical bureaucracy and non-medical
administrators.
Regulators need to have autonomy
Commission: An Idea whose and be independent of the
Time has Come administrators. The National Medical
Commission will be a regulator
appointed by the administrators under
their direct control. The bill aims to end
A major sticking point in the Bill is the prospect of “cross-pathy” — a person heavy-handed regulation of medical
trained in one stream of medicine practising another — which is specifically education institutions and make a shift
disallowed under the current rules —By Subhashis Mittra towards outcome-based monitoring. It
also calls for better coordination with
The National Medical Commission Bill Without qualifying the examination, AYUSH systems of treatment, which
to overhaul the corrupt and inefficient no person will be enrolled in the has got contradictory responses from
Medical Council of India is an idea National Medical register for medical fraternity or modern medicine
whose time has come. practitioners and would be entitled to doctors.
HIGH UTILITY BILL practise and do further post graduate PROVISIONS OF THE BILL
The NMC Bill aims to overhaul medical courses. “Section 33(1)(d) of the Bill According to the bill, the Ethics and
education and replace the Medical stipulates that ‘the commission may Medical Registration (EMR) Board
Council of India which regulates shall maintain a separate National
medical education and practice and has Register including the names of
faced allegations of corruption. But the In Brief licensed AYUSH practitioners. The
moot question is how far it will names of BAMS (Bachelor of
succeed. The proposed legislation has  The Bill to overhaul the Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery) and
already invited the wrath of the medical corrupt and inefficient MCI is BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic
fraternity, prompting the Lok Sabha to an idea whose time has come. Medicine and Surgery) graduates are
refer the bill to a parliamentary panel  It aims to overhaul medical already registered with their respective
for scrutiny. education and replace the councils. On availing of a bridge
A strike by doctors hit OPD MCI. course, they would be incorporated in
services in private hospitals across the  MCI regulates medical a separate register maintained by
country on January 2, forcing the education and practice and medical commission, which would
government to announce in Parliament has faced allegations of mean that they would be having duel
the same afternoon that the measure corruption. registrations with two registering
had been sent to the Parliamentary  IMA says replacing MCI with councils, which is neither open nor
Standing Committee for Health and permissible, as per Medical Council
Family Welfare for review. This is the another body may attract new Act. Further, the disciplinary jurisdiction
second time that the Committee will forms of corruption. on such persons with reference to
take up a Bill to repeal the Indian  The proposed legislation has breach of ethics is not indicated in the
Medical Council Act, 1956, the law already invited the wrath of proposed bill as they have duel
under which the pre- Independence the medical fraternity. registrations to their credit, health
Medical Council of India (MCI) was education experts claim.
reconstituted. One of the goals of the proposed
The Indian Medical Association permit a medical professional to Commission is to rein in corruption in
(IMA), the organisation of “doctors of perform surgery or practice medicine the MCI through greater distribution
modern scientific system of medicine”, without qualifying the National of powers. This is sought to be
says replacing MCI with another body Licentiate Examination, in such accomplished through an independent
may attract new forms of corruption. circumstances and for such period as Medical Advisory Council to oversee
Section (15) of the NMC Bill makes a may be specified by regulations’. the National Medical Commission, the
licentiate examination mandatory after The IMA has strongly opposed the proposed successor of the MCI. But
acquiring MBBS qualification. This will bill, claiming it will cripple the medical all members of the NMC are members
be the first time such a provision is profession. It has appealed to the prime of the Council, thereby undermining the
being introduced in any field of higher minister to revise the draft bill in the latter’s independence. This, and other
education in the country. larger interest of the medical concerns, must be addressed. Perhaps

26 Competition Wizard March 2018