The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which seeks to replace Medical Council of India (MCI) and overhaul medical education in the country, ran into controversy as soon as it was placed in the Lok Sabha in December last year. Besides stiff opposition in the House, it also triggered protests from doctors across the country, who participated in a day-long strike, recently called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

Amid the protests, the Lok Sabha referred the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee. The committee tabled the report in March. An amended Bill was passed by the Union cabinet in April but loopholes have remained, according to the medical community. Members say there is confusion over multiple clauses. A few top have explained the continued opposition to the bill.

We have reservations about the Bill and have demanded certain amendments. We want the permission given to the state governments to allow bridge course for AYUSH practitioners to be withdrawn. This will not help people in the country get quality treatment.

- Dr RN Tandon, Secretary General, IMA, New Delhi

The initial NMC Bill proposed a bridge course, which aims to enable practitioners of Ayurveda and Homeopathy to prescribe medicines like an MBBS graduate can. The amended Bill has removed the provision that made bridge course mandatory but has left the ball in the court of the state governments. It is up to state governments to implement measures to enhance their healthcare network to address state-specific healthcare issues in rural areas.

Undemocratic character

The Medical Council of India said the Bill had an undemocratic character as it proposed setting up of four autonomous boards under the supervision of the NMC, which would have complete autonomy. The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association also termed the Bill “anti-poor, anti-people, non-representative and undemocratic”.

Other stakeholders too have suggestions on what should have been included in the amended Bill:

• The Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare said that one-third members of the medical council should be from the general public so patient rights could be protected. Members of the body said that to make medical education affordable, fees for all seats in private colleges should be regulated.
• The National Institute of Public Finance and Policy has suggested constitution of an independent appellate authority to oversee disciplinary actions taken by NMC.
• The All India Institute of Medical Science, meanwhile, wants the Bill to bring in a Continued Medical Education credit point system along the lines of the US. In the US, doctors must renew their licences every two or three years after showing evidence of continuing medical education.

There are, however, some voices of support. The Association of National Board Accredited Institutions opined that the implementation of the Bill will improve the quality of medical education.

This story was contributed by Archita Puranik, a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.