New Delhi: The much debated National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017, is up for passage in the Lok Sabha on Monday even as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has been invited to meet the Union health ministry, reported The Telegraph.
The IMA—the largest body of doctors and private hospitals in the country—has stood in opposition to the Bill that will set up the Commission to replace the Medical Council of India. They would observe a two-hour token strike on Monday against it. In a statement, the body said it would observe an 'Allopathy Mukt Bharat' strike, by withdrawng their services if the Bill is passed.
The invite from the government to discuss the Bill and the NMC's regulatory structure has surprised the Association, said media reports, as Bill is already listed to come up in Lok Sabha today.
The Lok Sabha's revised list of business scheduled for April 2 mentions Union Health Minister JP Nadda's move on the National Medical Commission (NMC) bill that proposes a new regulatory system for medical education.
The IMA had initially opposed the provision of a 'bridge course' that would allow AYUSH practitioners to practice limited allopathy. However, the Union Cabinet accepted recommendations of a Parliamentary Committee to axe this, and let state governments take their individual decision. This, too, has not gone down well with the IMA, which has called it a backdoor entry for AYUSH to enter allopathic practices.
The IMA has also expressed concern over the percentage of medical seats left to the private managements, by the NMC. In many of the states, said the IMA, the fee of around 85 percent of the medical seats is fixed by the governments. The NMC will increase the quota of the private colleges from 15 percent to 50 percent, leaving half of the seats for fee regulation.
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