Sudden Strike Call; What are we fighting for , simplified;
1) IMC Act allowed me to become a member of MCI if I wanted. This democratic process has now been subverted. That I did not ever try is my fault and I have no right to crib that those in MCI did not do what should have been done or that Dr KD did some wrongs. Parliament is filled with corruption tainted members by the dozen and even with hard core criminals. That is no justification to subvert the democracy and bring in dictatorship with "searched and selected" nominees / lackeys placed at helm of affairs under the thumb of the ruler.
2) MCI which is sought to be replaced was the body to decide syllabus, courses, training of MBBS Doctors and Specialists. This needed inputs from wide variety of doctors in various kinds of specialties, teachers, General Practitioners, urban and rural doctors. This representation has now been curtailed drastically. A decision where even a cardiologist may be at a loss eg when the issue of Gynecological specialty training is to be decided, will now be decided by bureaucrats.
3) Politics has entered the hallowed precinct of professional bodies. The reason for permitting crosspathy is only and only to gain votes even at the cost of health of nation.
4) Lack of doctors is a myth which is propagated to justify crosspathy. Once NEXT is implemented there will be an army of MBBS graduates who will not clear NEXT so cannot practice medicine. There is already an army of Foreign medical graduates who have not cleared the eligibility exam. If there is such a shortage of doctors what is wrong in using this army rather than promoting crosspathy. Simultaneously however there will be degradation of Ayurved which we claim is our heritage because those who have studied ayurved will no longer practice the same.
5) Most importantly there is blatant conflict of interest. Those who own the private medical colleges are gifting themselves unlimited power to mint money by exploiting gullible medical students and trainees. There will be no checks and balances, no requirement of infrastructure or human resource to start a course or increase in number of seats. On one side Government wants even a single doctor clinic to conform to minimum standards. It will be easier for me to establish a medical college for 100 students that to establish a 10 bed nursing home.
6) NMC Bill is politically motivated to benefit private medical colleges who fund political parties while simultaneously gaining a few votes in name of "Ayurveda" , "Heritage", "culture", "Nationalism". That a few Doctors sitting in MCI were needed to be bribed by the Politicians who owned the private Medical Colleges to get seats approved was undigestible. After all what is the purpose of being a politician if you have to actually give a bribe to those who should be at your beck and call.
7) For all the faults of MCI it had a structure where improvement was possible. Now you have a puppet in the hands of the ministry to play with it as long as it does not tire of it with no scope to bring about change.
Dr Neeraj Nagpal
Convenor,Medicos Legal Action Group, Managing Director MLAG Indemnity,
Ex President IMA Chandigarh
Director Hope Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Clinic,
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