Thousands of doctors from all across the country are expected to converge at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi on 25 March for the “Doctors Mahapanchayat” convened by Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Doctors are agitated against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill which seeks to replace the existing apex medical education regulator, the Medical Council of India (MCI). Though the Parliame-ntary Committee recently has suggested major changes in the proposed NMC bill, doctors are not contented and are calling it “partial success” only.
Also medical students from almost all the medical colleges of the country will also join Doctors’ Mahapanchyat, said IMA. They also hold a separate “ChatraSansad” in Indira Gandhi Stadium a day before the “mahapanchayat”.
The mahapanchayat would discuss all issues concerning the medical profession and healthcare and decide the further course of action. IMA stressed that though the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on NMC bill has attempted to bring in some amendments in the bill, but they are “cosmetic” in nature and do not address the core issues in NMC Bill. “This report has created more problems than it has solved. The medical fraternity remains aggrieved,” said IMA.
The Parliamentary Committee has recommended that the bridge course, proposed in the NMC bill, to allow practitioners of traditional medicine to practice modern medicine through a short-duration course, should not be a mandatory provision and the decision should be left to States. “The IMA believes that not only anything has changed substantially, the bill has actually become worse. Backdoor entry of crosspathy has only taken the state route. Floodgates have been opened on bridge course to AYUSH to include non-doctors as well. To that extent the PSC report is deceptive as well. Now the bill goes one step further to legalise quackery. Unscientific mixing of systems and empowering non doctors to practice medicine is a measure inviting disaster and a crime against humanity,” said Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, national president, IMA.
“All this is being done when 63,000 MBBS doctors graduate every year and there are less than 3,500 vacancies in PHCs. Rural health seem to be only an excuse. The real intent is mixing of systems. This intent of the Government is malafide and will cost thousands of human lives. Concerns also have been raised that traditional systems will be destroyed,” he said.
“States in the name of capacity building can start bridge courses and empower any graduate to practice medicine. Augmenting nurses or dentists or pharmacists towards medical practice can never be ‘capacity building’. The answer to rural healthcare lies in starting number of Government medical colleges in rural areas and wise deployment of medical manpower. Incentivising young MBBS graduates with additional marks in PG selection was begun by MCI years back. None of the states have taken it up; which goes to say that all arguments of the Government are hollow,” Dr RN Tandon, Secretary General, IMA said.