Doctors and other medical practitioners are up in the arms against the passage of the National Medical Commission Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha, terming it anti-democracy. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), a nation-wide organisation of allopathy doctors, will go on strike for 24 hours — on July 31 — to protest it.
This will result in the withdrawal of all nonessential services across the country, as the doctors threaten to hold public demonstrations and go on hunger strikes to oppose various provisions of the bill. However, Emergency, Casualty, ICU and related services will function as per usual.
The Bill's Section 32 — which allows anyone connected with modern medicine to be registered in the National Medical Commission (NMC) and be licensed to practise modern medicine — is the main bone of contention.
Further, the section instantly allows for licensing of more than three and a half lakh unqualified non-medical persons to practise medicine and contains provisions to add more such persons each year. IMA fears that thus all paramedics, including pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, optometrists and others, will become eligible to practise medicine and prescribe medicines independently. Importantly, there is no cap on the years of experience a paramedic would need to be licensed to practise medicine using this route.
Under The Scalpel
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| Members of the Indian medical association objected to the following: |
| Section 32, which allows anyone connected with medicine to be registered in the National Medical Commission (NMC) and prescribe medicines |
| Section 14, under which an oral examination at different centres under the National Exit Test, could upset playing field |
| Section 51 aims to strengthen the health delivery system in rural areas, but could promote paramedics as medical practitioners |
"Most of the 25 NMC members will be nominated, and not elected as they are now," said IMA Maharashtra Secretary Dr Suhas Pingle, "The State Medical Council can approach NMC only through the Medical Advisory Council.
Assigning direct 'Community Health Providers' is nothing but the promotion of quackery.''
He further pointed out that as per Section 14 of the Bill, an oral examination will be conducted at different centres as part of the National Exit Test, which will not create a level playing field as is done by a national written test.
Further, Section 51 aims to strengthen the health delivery system in rural areas. ''However, the state is authorised to increase the number of doctors, and there is every danger that it will promote quackery (by assigning paramedics as medical practitioners),'' he said.
However, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the Bill is one of the biggest reforms in the country that will end 'inspector raj' in the medical education sector. It has a provision for setting uniform national standards in medical education by proposing that the final year MBBS exam be treated as an entrance test for post-graduate courses and that medical graduates from foreign countries undergo a screening test.
OPINION
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| ‘Danger Of Favouritism’ |
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The National Medical Council could go the way of the Medical Council of India — an elected body will now be replaced by nominated members. There is apprehension that those close to the government will be nominated. Powerful bodies such as the Association of Surgeons and the Association of Physicians will not have representatives in NMC. The positive change is uniformity in examinations. Government guidelines will govern 50% of the fees charged in private colleges, the remaining will be governed by the institution. Thus, there is danger of dilution of the quality of education. Perhaps the Centre’s intentions are good, but implementation will decide the outcome.. —Dr Surendra Kumar Mathur, gastrointestinal surgeon
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