Hyderabad: The proposed National Medical Commission Bill favours private medical colleges, claimed the Indian Medical Association (IMA). It said that the quality of post-graduate and super speciality courses will take a beating under the proposed Bill.
The government has stated that medical colleges will be allowed to operate only after the green signal from the medical board and the procedures will be simplified for an outcome-based monitoring.
Dr K. K. Aggarwal, a senior member of the IMA, said, “The proposed Bill is talking about starting undergraduate medical courses but is silent on the postgraduate and super speciality courses. Simplifying the procedures will give a free hand and easy access to avoid the desired checks and balances. This is nothing but an attempt at facilitating the private sector. The government stated that there were 10 senior allopathic doctors who were consulted before making these provisions. Why has a broad-based opinion not been taken? They are going to play with the manner in which medicine is practised in the country. People are going to suffer in the long-run.”
In the present post-graduate exams, 50 per cent of the medical graduates have failed which means that if there is a licentiate examination then the focus of rural healthcare will not be met with.
A senior doctor said, “We are asking the government to keep fewer exams and concentrate more on bedside practices in hospitals.”
“Most of the existing private colleges have no patients and those students learn in the exchange programmes at government hospitals. If the needs of rural healthcare have to be met, doctors must be given facilities to live there and practise.” To add to the problem, NMC will also bring in a Central rule, while health is a state subject. In the present set up, there are state medical boards. In the proposed Bill, the exact role of state boards is not identified. To add to the confusion, there will be three medical boards which will managing state councils.
A senior doctor noted, “Whom will they listen to? There is not only going to be confusion and chaos rather than a proper system.”
