NMC to bring overall change in India's health sector, says expert

Talking to ETV Bharat, Health expert Dr Giridhar Gyani said that the contentious National Medical Commission (NMC) Act will bring an overall change in India's health sector.

New Delhi: Amid unabated protest against National Medical Council (NMC) Bill, now an Act, experts in the field of health domain said that NMC will bring overall development of India's health sector.

Talking to ETV Bharat, Dr Giridhar Gyani, a health expert and director-general of Association of Healthcare Providers said that the National Medical Council will certainly bring a sea change in India's health sector.

"There was a lack of specialist doctors in community health centres too. It was a long waited reform in India's health sector. It was found that the Medical Council of India (MCI) was not able to bring the required reforms to develop and regulate all aspects of medical education, profession and institutions in India," said Dr Gyani.

Health experts suggest this bill as the biggest reform in India's health sector. This Bill amended the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 in the wake of allegations of corruptions against MCI. It is also aimed at addressing the shortcomings in the process of regulating medical colleges in the country.

According to the government, the NMC will provide for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education, and guarantee the availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals in all parts of the country.

The NMC will bring in changes in the way medical colleges are assessed, MBBS entrance is held and bring in new provisions such as exit exams and regulation of course fees in private colleges.

Section 15 (1) of the bill proposes a mutual final-year MBBS exam, the National Exit Test (NEXT) before an individual starts practising medicine and for getting admission to post-graduate medical courses and for enrolment in the state register or the national register.

There will also be a screening test for foreign medical graduates.

After the bill was passed by the Parliament, NMC got President Ram Nath Kovind's assent making it into an Act.