Celebration time cut short ?

The Parliamentary standing committee for health has tabled its 109 th report on National Medical Commission Bill in Rajya Sabha Yesterday. Crux of the matter as recommended in the report is that

1) 4.15.9 the Committee recommends that the Licentiate examination be integrated with the final year MBBS examination and be conducted at the State Level. Should be of a common pattern within a particular State, initially, and could be extended across the country as the system streamlines.

2) AIIMS, JIPMER and other similar institutions established by special acts of parliament will not be exempted from Licentiate exam

Observation; Was any student practising medicine without clearing the final professional exam prior to NMC Bill. To be registered in State Medical Councils it was necessary to pass MBBS (including final prof) and do internship. So why this new terminology of licentiating exam in NMC Bill or Why the new Bill at all ? Changing the name of Final Professional exam to Final Professional cum licentiating exam does not help much because without internship completion the person can still not practice medicine. So even after clearing the licentiate exam a person can still not practice medicine.

3) 4.35.3 Foreign Medical Graduates Qualifying exam (FMGE) to continue.

4) 4.49.9 No Bridge course for AYUSH BUT The Committee, recommends that the State Governments may implement measures to enhance the capacity of the existing healthcare professionals including AYUSH practitioners, B.Sc (Nursing), BDS, B.Pharma etc to address their State specific primary healthcare issues in the rural areas.

5) 5.2 Committee recommends Compulsory rural posting for MBBS graduates.

6) 5.2 Committee also recommends minimum compulsory period of working within India before being permitted to go abroad to serve outside the country

7) 4.10.6 Committee recommends regulation of fee in private medical colleges to be left to State Governments as per current system. Deemed Universities and other unregulated private institution should have regulation of fee of minimum 50 % seats

8) 4.36.5 DNB not for teaching posts in medical colleges

9) 4.4.4 Four additional part time elected members of National Medical Commission recommended taking the total of elected members to 9 out of total 29 members. However of these elected members it will be prescribed how many will be representing which constituency (Universities / Medical Colleges / SMHCE / Government etc)

10) 4.45.3 Absolute power of central Government diluted

Overall I am disappointed by the recommendations. Good thing however is that our representation by Medicos Legal Action Group (MLAG) finds no mention in the report tabled. This will allow us a legal loophole in courts that we were not given a hearing and our representation was not considered. Our battle continues and expecting the Government to bulldoze the Bill through the Parliament we at MLAG continue our preparation to legally challenge this Bill in SC when the time comes.

As a loyal worker of IMA I would have loved to join the Mahapanchayat to protest the NMC Bill on 25th but unfortunately I am off to Hyderabad on a previous commitment. My Best Wishes to IMA leadership for successful event.

Dr Neeraj Nagpal 
Convenor,Medicos Legal Action Group, Managing Director MLAG Indemnity,
Ex President IMA Chandigarh
Director Hope Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Clinic,
1184, Sector 21 B Chandigarh 
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