Hyderabad (Telangana): There have been several drastic changes in the world’s medical field during the past decade. Medical education domain too is rapidly changing in several ways in tune with them. The establishment of private Medical University and Teaching Hospitals is ample proof for this. But it is a bitter truth that having sanctioned them, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has failed in monitoring them.
Undoubtedly, it is also a fact that the Council has become a haven for corruption and dented medical education standards. The National Medical Council brought in by the central government in its place has become very controversial even before it took off.
Touted as one of the biggest reforms in medical education in India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019, is facing major resistance from the medical fraternity. Junior doctors (Judas) have taken up agitation, strikes against this After getting it passed in both the houses and having received the assent from the President too, it has now become a legal act.
- Several Doubts
Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan declared that the bill can impact the country’s medical field and galvanize it to new vistas.
Had it been so well-conceived, how is it, so many are opposing it?
On the other hand, the government argues that the bill was introduced as a draft two years ago and taking into consideration a number of suggestions, several changes were incorporated and it emerged in the form of the present bill.
India has produced several top doctors. They have a high reputation in India and abroad as expert medical professionals. Under that background, just because of the support of some politicians, illegal activities are going on. As such, when the government is overhauling the total system and bringing in a new order, some doctors are opposing it. But the adversaries argue that how can only government nominated members, function corruption free and with transparency in accordance with the aspirations of people and bring in an alternate structure which was imposed. With the new structure, the importance of states would have dwindled because some members are appointed alternately in an alternate way by rotation.
They argue how can it stand as a viable body. How is such a body, which changes once in two or three years, without representation from some states, is justified? It is argued that with the implementation of this act, the representation of the state governments would be reduced and this distorts the federal spirit.
All the members, including the Chairperson of the body, should declare their income and property details. This act also stipulates that subsequent to working in the Council, members should not work in any private teaching hospitals or organization. With this, they say, there is a scope for NMC, functioning as a corruption-free body.
In decision-taking bodies, the members will not be just doctors, but also will be nominees from IIT (Indian Institutes of Technology), IIM (Indian Institutes of Management) and other bodies and fields. It is also being argued that with such composition, the representation of medical fraternity would be reduced and it becomes potpourri. It is notable that in anybody, there will not be a representation of persons from different fields. If it is the intention of collaborating with four autonomous bodies, there is no need to totally abolish MCI (Medical Council of India).
It would be too ambitious for us to expect higher standards in the background of importance being given to corporatization. If the management quota, which has so far been 15% is hiked to 50%, the participation of private partnership would increase. Of the 536 existing medical colleges in the country, there are about 80,000 MBBS seats. Of these, 38,000 seats are in the control of private medical colleges. Now, 20,000 seats are being filled in management quota. Thus, medical education gets out of reach to commoners.
The government should encourage talent; instead, if it encourages taking over of medical education by private bodies, the consequences would be disastrous.
In fact, the allegation is that a large scale of corruption had taken place in MCI at the time of the approval process. The newly formulated bill has not shown any corruption-free viable alternative for this. Can education acquired by pumping in crores of rupees, provide good for the society and succour to the common man? It would be Utopian to expect good results from such an ill-gotten system.
How many of these doctors emerging from private medical factories would be able to work in the villages?
It is doubtful that the well-meaning intention of the government to churn out a greater number of doctors in a short span of time would be in the direction of providing proper medical aid to the common man. Mere enhancing the number of doctors in the country would not result in providing health and safety to common men.
Corporate doctors, who are already facing the criticism that ethics are totally compromised, also are the products of government medical colleges. Social values do not just depend upon the college they have studied. They depend upon good family background, upbringing and the influence of teachers and above all, sticking to certain ideals. Therefore, there is no need to be suspicious of all private medical colleges.