Pune: Indian Medical Association (IMA) national President Dr Santanu Sen, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, has written a letter to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan about the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill. The IMA has also called for an emergency action committee meeting on Sunday to decide on further strategy concerning the bill.
In the same letter, Dr RV Asokan, Honorary Secretary General, has appealed to all members stating that the Indian government has passed 25 bills till date in this session despite huge objections. Further, no amendments have been accepted on any bill.
The government accepted four amendments to the NMC Bill, 2019, because of the nationwide protest by the IMA. They all relate to representations in the NMC. Some clarifications have been provided on other issues.
“IMA is raising further questions for clarity in all the issues. After studying the clarifications, we will appeal to the Honourable President of India regarding our concerns,” said Dr Asokan in the letter.
In the letter, Sen has asked the minister about the assurances that were made in the Rajya Sabha. Whether they will come into effect; in what period of time and the mode and manner will they be implemented. Further clarification has been sought in the following matter.
In the letter, Dr Sen has also written about the amendments. With regard to the Exit Examination, the minister clarified that it will be a Common Final MBBS Examination conducted for all the students in all the medical colleges in the country, including institutions of importance such as AIIMS, to be conducted by a designated authority.
It will be a structured examination, including both the components of theory and clinical in the manner as is done in tests conducted such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).
On the strength of this final year MBBS examination, that is, NEXT: Whether it will be open for the examining university to confer the MBBS degree in the teeth of provisions included in the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, read with the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 2016, which are in vogue.
The letter further states that with regard to the question of regulation of fees in private medical colleges and deemed universities, as contemplated under section 10(1)(i) of the Bill, the minister assured that framing of the guidelines by the commission would mean regulation of the fee in 50 per cent of the seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities.
For the remaining 50 per cent of the seats in the said institutions, medical education being a ‘concurrent subject, the state government would dispense with the needful and National Medical Commission with Deemed Universities. Further, you assured that capping of the regulatory tuition fee by the commission would be made under rules to be notified by the Government of India, underlined the letter.
