Medical bodies frown at Bill tabled to replace top regulatory authority 

Bill seeks to allow Ayurveda, Homeopathy practitioners to make allopathic prescriptions; doctors likely to start indefinite strike soon
Doctors burn copies of National Medical Commission Bill-2019 at IMA Hall in Vijayawada on Thursday | Prasant Madugula
Doctors burn copies of National Medical Commission Bill-2019 at IMA Hall in Vijayawada on Thursday | Prasant Madugula

NEW DELHI:  The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on July 22, continues to draw protests from various sections of the medical fraternity. The likes of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and some other bodies representing the medical fraternity have pointed to three provisions in the Bill as the proverbial sticking points.

The Bill proposes a common final year MBBS examination — National Exit Test (NEXT) — for admission to postgraduate medical courses and for obtaining a licence to practice medicine. The exam would also serve as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.

“The MBBS course is followed by an internship programme after which students take postgraduate courses. If the proposed test is conducted in the final year (of MBBS) and seats for PG courses are allotted on the basis of how one fares in it, there won’t be much time left for the internship programme.

The internship is a critical phase in the making of doctors, as it helps them learn the clinical steps. NEET and NEXT have different priorities, different goals. How can they be clubbed together?” Dr Sumedh Sandanshiv, president, FORDA, told this newspaper.

The Bill also proposes to increase the management quota, which, doctors feel, will have an adverse impact on existing medical students. “Fees for medical courses will soar if this Bill is passed and it will increase the scope of corruption. The government should regulate 100% seats and consider adding 15% management quota,” Harjit Bhatti, former RDA president, AIIMS, said.

“Once the Bill becomes law, it will legalise quacks, as those who are diploma holders or have done bridge courses will be appointed (to medical posts) in rural areas. How can a less qualified individual be allowed to play with the lives of rural people?” Bhati said. Opposing the Bill, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) on Thursday wrote to the President, urging his intervention in revisiting the contentious provisions of the Bill.

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