Amidst innumerable doctor going on a protest in the country, Rajya Sabha today passed the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 with few amendments. For the Modi government, the Bill seeks to bring about landmark change in the healthcare sector.
The Bill is described as one of the biggest reforms that will end ‘inspector raj’ in the medical education sector.
The bill will set up a National Medical Council instead of a MCI to for the overall enhancement of medical education, profession and Institutes in India.
The other highlights of the Bill are the introduction of NEXT wherein the final year MBBS exam will be treated as P entrance exam for the medical and dental courses.
Though the opposition objected to the Bill saying that the Bill is like “throwing the baby with the bath tub” and it was against the spirit of federalism, Dr Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister, allayed the apprehensions saying the Bill will end inspector-raj and provide more number of medical seats. He termed the legislation as “pro-poor” saying it would bring not only government seats but also 50 per cent of all private seats within the reach of meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections.
Dr. Harshvardhan, Health Minister on #NMC Bill:
-The biggest reform brought in medical field in recent times
-Medical Council of India created in 1956 for regulation of medical colleges, subsequently increase in no. of medical pvt colleges, MCI got plagued with corruption— Maadhyam (@_maadhyam_) August 1, 2019
Moving the Bill, the Health Minister termed the legislation as a biggest reform in the field of medical education.
He said the corruption in Medical Council of India is well known and there have been many reports of involvement of MCI officials in corrupt practices.
Earlier, during the day, medical care at several hospitals, including the AIIMS, Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, was as resident doctors protested, withdrawing service, to protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.
