NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION BILL, 2019

 

For: Mains

Topics covered: All about the national medical commission bill – significances and advantages, arguments against, State medical councils, NEET exam, EXIT exam

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News Flash

The Rajya Sabha cleared the National Medical Commission Bill with a crucial amendment to increase the representation of States in the new body.

• The Bill was passed by a voice vote.
• NMC Bill seeks to regulate medical education and practice in India.
• To meet this objective, the Bill repeals the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and dissolves the current Medical Council of India (MCI).

 

Medical Council of India The Medical Council of India was established to establish uniform standards of higher education qualifications in medicine and regulating its practice.

 

Voice Vote A voice vote is used in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state assemblies to vote for certain resolutions. The convention for passing Bills in the Parliament is by orally communicating agreement or disagreement with the proposed motion (whether a Bill should be passed or not, for example). When a motion is put to vote the speaker says, ‘Those in the favour of the motion say Aye and those opposing it say No.’ According to the voice vote, the Speaker decides whether the Bill is accepted or negated by the House. If a member is not happy with a voice vote, it can be challenged and a division can be asked for.

 

Highlights

• The State Medical Council representation was being increased from five to nine members and State University representation from six to 10 members.
• The NMC will replace the Medical Council of India (MCI).

 

State Medical Councils

Under the bill, states will establish their respective State Medical Councils, within three years of the passage of the bill. These Councils will have a similar role to the National Medical Commission, at the state level.

Functions:

• Laying down policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals.
• Assessing the requirements of human resources and infrastructure in healthcare.
• Ensuring compliance by the State Medical Councils with the regulations made under the Bill.
• Framing guidelines for determination of fee for up to 40% of the seats in the private medical institutions and deemed universities which are governed by the Bill.

 

Members of National Medical Commission

• The NMC will consist of 25 members (including part-time members) which are appointed by the central government.
• It includes members from the Directorate General of Health Services and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
• These posts will have a maximum term of four years, and will not be eligible for extension or reappointment.

 

Functions of NMC

1. Framing policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals
2. Assessing the requirements of healthcare-related human resources and infrastructure.
3. Ensuring compliance by the State Medical Councils of the regulations, and
4. Framing guidelines for determination of fees for up to 50% of the seats in private medical institutions and deemed universities which are regulated under the Bill.

 

Regulatory bodies being set up under the NMC

The Bill sets up four autonomous boards under the supervision of the NMC:

• The Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB)

These two bodies will be responsible for formulating standards, curriculum, guidelines, and granting recognition to medical qualifications at the under-graduate and post-graduate levels respectively.

• The Medical Assessment and Rating Board

The Board will have the power to levy monetary penalties on institutions which fail to maintain the minimum standards as laid down by the UGMEB and the PGMEB.  It will also grant permissions for establishing new medical colleges.

• The Ethics and Medical Registration Board

The Board will maintain a National Register of all licensed medical practitioners, and regulate professional conduct.  Only those included in the Register will be allowed to practice as doctors.

 

Conduct of Medical Entrance Examinations

There will be a uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to under-graduate medical education in all medical institutions governed by the Bill.

Further, there will be a National Licentiate Examination for the students graduating from medical institutions to obtain the license for the practice.

 

NEET 

• Seeking to alleviate concerns on NEET, it was already an institutionalized mechanism for the successful conduct of tests in 13 languages.
• Its syllabus was decided by considering the curricula of State Boards and it was being improved continuously.

 

NEXT

• The new body will be constituted in nine months and in the next three years, it will set up the mechanism for conducting the common final year examination or the National Exit Test (NEXT) for all MBBS students.
• Based on the results, the students will get their degrees and licence to practise (after an internship).
• Performance in the Theory paper will decide eligibility for admission to post-graduation courses.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

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