The Union government will soon come up with a National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill to usher in comprehensive reforms in the medical education sector, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in the Lok Sabha on July 2. The NMC Bill, which was introduced in December, 2017, lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. The minister said the government will soon take the NMC Bill to the Union Cabinet and then in Parliament.

The Lok Sabha passed the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019, by voice vote. This Bill provides for the supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI) for a period of two years with effect from September 26, 2018. It will replace an ordinance promulgated on February 21.

The move aims to ensure transparency, accountability and quality in the governance of medical education in the country.

Why was this Bill introduced?

The MCI was set up for setting standards for medical professionals, new medical colleges and revision of curriculum, among others.

The health ministry had come across certain arbitrary action by the MCI in disregard to the provision of the IMC Act and regulations.

Further, the oversight committee constituted by the Supreme Court to oversee the functioning of MCI had also cited instances of non-compliance of their instructions and subsequently all its members tendered their resignation.

In view of these developments, it was decided to supersede the MCI through the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, promulgated on September 26, 2018, and entrust its affairs to a board of governors consisting of eminent doctors.

Subsequently, the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 14, 2018, and passed by the House on December 31.

However, the Bill could not be taken up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha.

Accordingly, it was decided to promulgate a fresh ordinance namely the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, to allow the board of governors appointed in view of supersession of MCI to continue to exercise powers of MCI.

Harsh Vardhan said in Lok Sabha that the board of governors which had replaced the MCI has worked well and taken a series of steps to improve medical education.

The board of governors has granted accreditation to more number of medical colleges, increased number of seats and reduced procedural hurdles, he said, adding it is manned by doctors of great repute.

The Bill also proposes to increase the number of members in the board of governors to 12 from the existing seven.

Medical Council of India

The MCI was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, with the main function of establishing uniform standards of higher qualifications in medicine and recognition of medical qualifications in India and abroad.

The number of medical colleges had increased steadily during the years after Independence. It was felt that the provisions of Indian Medical Council Act were not adequate to meet with the challenges posed by the very fast development and the progress of medical education in the country. As a result, in 1956, the old Act was repealed and a new one was enacted.

The MCI’s objectives:

* Maintenance of uniform standards of medical education, both undergraduate and postgraduate.

* Recommendation for recognition / de-recognition of medical qualifications of institutions in India and abroad.

* Permanent registration / provisional registration of doctors with recognised medical qualifications.

* Reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications.

National Medical Commission Bill

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2017. It aims to replace the Medical Council of India Act, 1956, and included the contentious provision of a “bridge course” to allow practitioners of alternative medicines to pursue allopathy. It was referred to a parliamentary standing committee following massive protests from the medical fraternity.

The panel gave its recommendations in March 2018 following which the health ministry omitted the contentious provision and also made some other changes as suggested by the committee before moving the official amendments in the Lok Sabha.

“The official amendments were approved by the Cabinet and moved to the Lok Sabha separately. Now the NMC Bill has been redrafted and the amendments as suggested by the parliamentary panel have been incorporated. The draft Bill would be sent to the Cabinet soon,” the official said.