Manish
Kumar
New
Delhi, Aug 10: The
NITI Aayog Wednesday released a draft bill christened draft National Medical
Commission Bill 2016 which envisages repealing the current Indian Medical
Council Act, 1956 which gives powers to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to
regulate medical education in India. The move is likely to replace the MCI with the proposed National Medical Commision (NMC).
This
comes after the widespread criticism of the workings of the MCI included in the
92nd Report of Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health
and Family Welfare, presented to the Rajya Sabha this year.
The
Centre earlier had appointed a committee under the chairmanship of vice
chairman of the NITI Aayog on March 28 this year. The Committee, which
included Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, CEO, NITI Aayog and
Secretary, H&FW as members, was asked to examine all options for reforms in
the Medical Council of India and suggest the way forward.
According
to the draft bill, now an electronic medical registry must be prepared by the
state medical councils under the proposed Board for Medical Registrations. The
bill mandates that the data pertaining to the degrees of every doctor from
every state must be maintained in the electronic system which could also be
accessible to the public as well.
The
draft bill meanwhile also bats for forming three different bodies like- under
graduate board for medical education, post graduate board for medical education
and a board for medical registration. The bill envisages a National Medical Commission which would regulate the medical education in the country with
additional powers.
The
bill also talks about forming a search-cum-selection committee which will be
formed out of members from the NITI Aayog and members from the health and
family welfare ministry pre-dominantly. However it talks about autonomy of the
commission and different bodies formed under the law once it gets passed by the
Parliament.
The
draft bill envisages the National Medical Commission (NMC) to be headed by a
deserving chairman from the field of health with ample experience in the field
besides having a member secretary, eight ex-officio members and 10 part time
members.
However,
the Aayog seemed to have given more powers to the selection of the members of
the NMC and also more representation of bureaucrats from central deputation
rather than encouraging participation from states.
