NMC Bill persists with old tendency of centralisation | The Indian Express

NMC Bill persists with old tendency of centralisation | The Indian Express

Written by Surajit Nundy |Updated: September 5, 2019 10:48:20 am

The writer is the founder of Raxa, an artificial intelligence platform to improve the quality of care in India

NMC Bill persists with old tendency of centralisation

Healthcare in India is mostly practiced by non-physicians because we will never have enough physicians. Like other developing democracies, we have a shortfall of certified providers.

Many doctors have also risen up in protest against this Bill because a clause allows work by health professionals.

On August 1, the Rajya Sabha passed the National Medical Commission Bill which seeks to replace the Medical Council of India Act, 1956. This Bill seeks to replace the selection process of the governors of the MCI — currently, by and large, medical practitioners elected by state-level peers — with governors who will mostly be medical practitioners nominated by the Central Government. In its opposition to this bill, the Indian Medical Association has said that “the autonomy of the medical profession and the watch-dog role it should play. will be lost. It will only lead to autocracy in these institutions.” Many doctors have also risen up in protest against this Bill because a clause allows work by health professionals. But that is misguided opposition borne of the sense that doctors do special work and, therefore, should regulate themselves autonomously.