BHUBANESWAR: Even as the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019 that aims at bringing major reforms in medical education in the country was passed in Parliament, it is facing resistance from a medical fraternity in the State. Claiming that the bill is anti-poor, undemocratic and likely to promote quackery, a section of doctors, medical students and different associations have threatened to go on agitation if certain amendments are not made.
Medical students and Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) have raised objections to Section 15 (1) of the Bill that proposes a common final-year MBBS examination - National Exit Test (NEXT), before an individual starts practising medicine and for seeking admission to post-graduate medical courses and enrolment in the State Register or National Register.
“We are completely against NEXT in its present format. Merit should be the determining factor in securing a PG seat and current NEET-PG should not be scrapped,” said an MBBS student. The OMSA claimed that the NMC would regulate fees and all other charges for only 50 per cent (pc) of the seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities.
“It means the private colleges would charge fees at their will for the rest 50 pc seats making medical education expensive and difficult for economically backward class. There should be a cap on the fee charged by unaided medical institutions,” said OMSA president Dr Nirakara Bhatta. As per the Bill medical colleges would need permission only once and after that those are free to increase the number of seats for both UG and PG seats, Dr Bhatta said and added that it will pave the way for widespread corruption.