Doctors strongly oppose NMC draft bill

Tirupati:  The move by the Central Government to replace Medical Council of India (MCI) with National Medical Commission (NMC) has been facing hurdles ever since the idea was mooted. The medical fraternity is strongly opposing certain clauses in the draft bill which they claim will jeopardise their interests in general and health services in particular.

As the government presented the draft bill in Parliament on Friday and discussed it on Tuesday, IMA doctors across the country protested the move and health services mainly at out patient departments in almost all private hospitals were hit for 12 hours on Tuesday. The doctors gave up their protest in the afternoon only after the government has announced that the bill will be sent to a select committee.
 AP Government Doctors Association (APGDA) and AP Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) also support the stir and they held a rally and expressed their protests for an hour before resuming duties.

IMA, GDA and JUDA members say that the NMC bill in the present form is not at all acceptable to them and the government should withdraw it. Their main objections include the proposal to introduce a bridge course for AYUSH doctors, which enables them to practise modern Allopathy medicine once they get through the course.

They allege that it will increase quackery, which is rampant already. The doctors have also been opposing the exit exam for MBBS graduates, which will become mandatory to practise medicine. ``Having completed MBBS by facing all examinations and practicals, where is the necessity to write another exit test?”, asked AP JUDA Vice-President PS Vishnu Bharadwaj.

“Experienced Professors are conducting examinations for Medical Students and the Universities established by the governments are giving away the degrees. By making them to write Exit exam again to be qualified for doing practice or to join PG courses, is nothing but lack of confidence in their own system. We strongly object this”, said the Tirupati wing President of IMA Dr IV Ramachandra Rao.

 He told the Hans India that, candidates have to work hard and secure ranks to join MBBS course. During the course, they undergo rigorous studies and training for almost six years. It is not correct to ask them again to qualify in the Exit exam. The government was trying to make AYUSH doctors to practise Allopathy medicine by simply qualifying a bridge course, which is unfair.

Dr Rao further said that, in the proposed NMC out of 25 members there will be only five doctors and the remaining 20 were non-medical professionals. These five members will have no say in the council except to give their suggestions. ``As the doctors’ problems will be known to doctors only, we demand more representation for medical professionals in the body”, he averred.

By: V Pradeep Kumar