National Medical Commission Bill 2017: IMA declares the bill to be crassly pro rich even after the proposed amendments

Indian Medical Association says, "NMC as such remains an anti poor, anti people and anti federal law which if allowed to be passed will have unforeseen consequences on not only health sector but also on the federal structure of the country."

By: Aishwarya Vaidya | | Published: July 26, 2018 7:17 pm

The 219th Central Working Committee of Indian Medical Association which assembled in Ahmedabad on 14th and 15th April 2018, followed by state president secretaries meeting and extended action committee meeting, after threadbare discussions on all the dimensions and impact of the ill conceived National Medical Commission Bill 2017 found it to be anti people and anti medical profession. The impact it will have on the one count of medical education becoming inaccessible to poor and downtrodden and producing doctors predominantly from the rich and urban sections of the population is unacceptable.

At present most of the states have in place a fee fixing committee due to a Supreme Court order. This has enabled the State Governments to have a quota of 50% in private medical colleges in most of the states. These Government selected meritorious students pay fee as in Government medical colleges. Even in the next 50% the colleges are allowed to have a higher fee for only up to 15 % of the seats (NRI seats). In the rest of 35% of the states an intermediate level affordable fee of around 5 lakhs is levied. NMC will change all these. As a matter of fact there is no comparable legislation which has reservation for the rich.

State Medical Councils have come into existence due to legislations of the state legislatures. They are fully under the control of State Governments and they have the independence to function especially in regulation of medical practice. They do not interfere in medical education. This independence including disciplinary control of medical practice is vital . NMC brings in regimentation and lack of choice. In all issues the state medical councils have to abide by the National Medical Commission.

Representation to the states by rotation is an anti federal idea. The views of the states are valuable in real time and not in once in 10 years . Every state is unique in its needs and infrastructure and this is bound to result in widespread dissatisfaction. There is also the real danger of this anti federal idea spilling over to other institutions affecting the whole gamut of Centre –State relationship.

State Health Universities have a robust role in modulating the syllabi and the curriculum of medical education. In NMC they have been relegated to a secondary role in the National Advisory council. They are the one who confer degree on medical graduates.

The cosmetic changes that have been made to the bill have not restored the autonomy of the medical profession rightfully conferred by the IMC Act 1956 which has given the nation doctors of international calibre and has formed the foundation of patient care and patient safety in this country. Trampling upon the autonomy of medical profession will have unforeseen consequences on the health of the nation which cannot be undone for many generations to come.

Indian Medical Association which was baptised in the freedom struggle rejects the National Medical Commission 2017 in toto fulfilling its commitment to the Health of our people and resolves to fight this anti people legislation by directly taking the issue to the people.

Source: Press Release

Image Source: Shutterstock

Published: July 26, 2018 7:17 pm

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