Govt seeks to scrap MCI, doctors up in arms



The tussle between doctors and the state over the control of medical councils continued after the Centre proposed scrapping the Medical Council of India and replacing it with the National Medical Commission, which will have only 10 per cent of its members from the medical fraternity.

Doctors are up in arms over this decision, saying this is yet another step by the government to tighten its grip over medical councils by having its 'stooges' control their functioning even as the Centre has called for suggestions and oppositions to be sent in by August 31.

"One of the major problems is that the new act calls for merely 10 to 15 per cent representation from the medical fraternity. The rest of the members will be non-doctors appointed by the government. How can laymen take calls on medical education?" asked Dr Shivkumar Utture, executive member of the Maharashtra Medical Council. Utture added that all of the members of the Medical Council of India were doctors and the same practice should continue. "Problems of corruption should have been dealt with separately. Instead of scrapping the Medical Council of India, they should have amended it and plugged the loopholes."

Uttare said that the government tried the same tack when it appointed an Ayurveda practitioner as the registrar of the Maharashtra Medical Council, a body made up of allopathic physicians.

Several doctors' bodies held a meeting on Sunday in Rajasthan to strongly oppose the National Medical Commission. The Indian Medical Association, a body of 2.5 lakh doctors across the country, has decided to oppose the National Medical Commission Bill, 2016, as the process of appointing the members is nondemocratic. "We have constituted a 10-member team to deliberate on each aspect of the bill and send a report to the government," said Dr KK Aggarwal, general secretary of Indian Medical Association.

The decision to replace the Medical Council of India, the statutory body responsible for recognising medical institutions, courses and qualifications in India and registering doctors who practiced in India, with the National Medical Commission, the new apex regulator for the medical sector, was made by an expert committee on medical education appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Popular posts from this blog

PG Doctors of India must work not more than 48 Hr/week: SC

Image
As per the directives of the Honourable Supreme Court in its judgment dated,25.9.87, in writ petition No. 348-352 of 1985, all the State Governments, Medical Institutions and Universities are required to amend their rules and regulations to introduce a uniform residency scheme by 1993 “A uniform practice has to be evolved so that the discipline would be introduced. We accordingly allow the present arrangement to continue for a period of five yearsI.e. upto 1992 inclusive. For admission beginning from 1993 there would be only onepattern. All Universities and institutions shall take timely steps to bring about such amendments as may be necessary to bring statutes, regulations, and rules obtaining in their respective institutions in accord with this direction before the end of 1991 so that there may be no scope for raising of any dispute in regard to the matter.The uniform pattern has to be implemented for 1993. It is proper that one uniform system is brought into vogue throughout
Read more

Why DNB exam tougher than MS/MD exam?

Image
Guest article by Dr Kalyan R Kone   There were 6 people (accompanied by their relatives) sitting in the small waiting room outside the ward waiting for their call inside. They looked battered, tense and had such a depressed look in their eyes that even Shylock would have sympathized with them. They had cleared their DNB (Diplomate of National Board) theory exam and were making last minute preparations for their practical exam. If I were not told that they were all Doctors, I would have thought that they were all waiting for their turn to see a psychiatrist. Dr Kalyan R Kone Five out of six of those waiting doctors were appearing for the second or third time. In spite of that, they didn’t know what would be in store for them except one thing — only one or two would pass out of the six candidates. I thought for a moment that it was a good ploy by the NBE (National Board of Examination) to generate funds – after all, where would these poor guys go except appe
Read more