The Medical Council of India (MCI) has been repeatedly accused of corruption. Money power can get you anything and everything and recognition to colleges for various medical courses is sold to the highest bidder. The rot came to light when its president Khetan Desai was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2 crore to grant recognition to a medical college in Punjab.
So we can all agree that the system needs change, and it’s encouraging the government took cognizance of the matter. In came the NMC – National Medical Commision Bill.
However, it’s sad to say that the government’s proposal is so far from any solution that it’s going to actually hurt if not destroy medical education and medical service in our country.
Let’s start with medical education. Under NMC, the government wants to remove the regulations of fees for 50% seats at both MBBS and postgraduate level. This means that children from middle-class families can forget about studying medicine. The fees in some private medical colleges in Karnataka for postgraduation are in the tune of ₹90 lakh per year. Fees this exorbitant kills the dreams of lakhs of medical aspirants. It’s simply not possible to pay that much unless, of course, your dad is Ambani or Adani. Our prime minister probably spends too much time with these people that he has forgotten about the people who actually make this country.
Another curveball from the government is the proposed bridge course for AYUSH doctors to prescribe (in essence practice) allopathic medication. After wide protests, this has been left to the state governments to decide, but the provision still exists. I cannot understand the logic of the decision makers. How do they expect a homoeopathic doctor to learn in just six months what an MBBS doctor learns in 5-and-a-half years? Additionally, if you want AYUSH doctors to practice allopathy, then why do we need AYUSH doctors in this country? If an AYUSH doctor takes up the bridge course, aren’t they indirectly telling the public that they’re not confident in their science?
The government says that they want the bridge course to address the lack of doctors in rural areas. Does shortage of doctors mean you will make any Tom, Dick and Harry an allopathic medicine practitioner? Would these politicians be willing to take their loved ones to these “bridge course” doctors?
Shortage can only be solved by increasing the number of MBBS and PG seats. Rural services should be incentivised and appropriate infrastructure should be provided. Also, the bureaucracy should be held accountable. It’s also not that doctors aren’t interested in rural service. There are many doctors who want to but haven’t been given the opportunity.
The NMC bill also allows private medical colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats (with no mention for increase in medical seats for government medical colleges) on their own, without inspections and other procedures. This means the private colleges can now sell more seats (as the fees will be unregulated) and make more profits. This rule shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone since many private medical colleges are owned directly or indirectly by politicians.
In short, the NMC bill is disaster waiting to happen, for the doctors and the general public. If you worry about your health, it’s time to worry about the doctors who take care of it. If you do not want substandard doctors to treat you in future, oppose this bill! If you don’t want medical education to be a privilege, oppose this bill! If you dont want the medical fraternity to be governed by politicians and bureaucrats who are famous for their incompetence, oppose this bill!
This protest is as important for you as it’s for the doctors. We can only make the government come to its senses if we stay together and speak in one voice.
vishal prajapati
Yes,I am there,stop NMC bill to be passed…
If you really want more doctor’s to be practicing in rural areas….many MBBS doctors and MBBS aspirants are awaiting this can be done only by increasing the number of MBBS seats in government medical colleges for MBBS aspirants students, since they are working very very extremely very hard to get it….and they learn for 5.5 year… instead of increasing no. Of seats in Pvt medical colleges which is just made for profits…and this bridge course is extremely wrong since MBBS course of 5.5 YEAR can’t be compressed to only 6 MONTHS …this is extremely wrong and unsafe for future of India and quality of Indian’s doctors…
Dr. Ppc
I love India.. no words..?♀️
Why the hell being a middle class fellow.. I took up medicine
dhruv singh
I don’t care. I know I won’t get admission in any case! Scored 300 last year ,this year got 470. No admission. I am from general. God let me be born in a middle class dalit home next time. For this life let’s forget doctory. Fed up of studying. No use. Will go for polytechnic or nursing course now.
dhruv singh
However just to correct you, 40% reservation in private medical colleges is proposed. To also point out your stupid understanding, ask yourself what is NMC? Why the old commission is being replaced by new one? Other regulations can always vary but why new commission? Composition of the new commission. Wrote an article on hearsay basis. Half hatched chicken – youth ki awaaz!
Secondly on rstv I heard that both ayurvedic and allopathic doctors receive almost the same education for first three years. After that specialization comes in. The youth therefore should at least try to understand the points that adults raise. It reminds me of my hasty friend who always hears khana as gana and to as gu and then declare his grandmother as being slow, slimy and stupid, but trust me it’s often the other way round.
Shataakshi Raj
Are you people already sold ? Maybe! That is why you are just trying to misguide us! Mci is a sold corrupted body and that can be seen. when you say the fees are not regulated fyi just check the fees of medical deemed colleges on mcc . Students just qualified neet can easily take admissions in such colleges and get reg certificates from mci.
Though i donot support the bridge course thing but the next exam will bring out equality among students studying abroad as it will bring transparancy in screening exam.this will bring out the most deserving candidates
Nmc bill has more positivity than negativity
Rongala rakesh Kumar
Let the bill have some ammendments. Like all politicians who are in power or aspire to come to power and their relatives should be in the business of running medical colleges.
bulleyesloh Bulleyesloh
NMC bill is correct. Modi ji Sarkar doing right thing in medicine field. I full support nmc bill for making better India
bulleyesloh Bulleyesloh
Nmc bill should come in action for better quality of doctors in India
dr. farooq ahmed
In my view , being a modern medical
practitioner , v should allow our revials ayush doctor to learn modern medicine, if they are interested to do do . I hope many of my fellow colleagues will oppose this !
Sanjeev Sharma
I am against the MNC Bill.
Justc4A
These illiterate politicians and fraudsters donot know the importance of medical education and health services. Look at the amount of cut in GDP that it is alloting to healthcare. How can u expect a qualified doctor to work if there is no infrastructure.
About this bill, it is totally bullshit. They are just trying to please the private sector businessmen.