“Drop bridge course for ayush docs, make MBBS final exam licentiate test”

Standing committee recommends compulsory period of service in India for govt medical college graduates

A Parliamentary committee that was vetting the National Medical Commission Bill 2017 has recommended that the provision for a bridge course for Ayush practitioners to practice allopathic medicine should not be a part of the Bill and the final MBBS examination should be designated as the licentiate examination instead of a separate examination that would allow qualified doctors to practice.

The National Medical Commission Bill provides for the Constitution of a commission by that name to replace the elected MCI. Four boards – dealing with undergraduate, postgraduate medical education, medical assessment and rating board and the ethics and medical registration board – will regulate the sector. The Bill was sent to the department related Parliamentary standing committee of health and family welfare during the Winter Session of Parliament.

The committee in its report tabled on Tuesday said: “The Committee is of the view that the bridge course should not be made a mandatory provision in the present Bill. However, the Committee appreciates the need to build the capacity of the existing human resources in the healthcare sector, to address the shortage of healthcare professionals so as to achieve the objectives of the National Health Policy, 2017. The Committee feels that every State has its own specific healthcare issues and challenges. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the State Governments may implement measures to enhance the capacity of the existing healthcare professionals including AYUSH practitioners, B.Sc (Nursing), BDS, B.Pharma etc to address their State specific primary healthcare issues in the rural areas.”

The Committee also recommends for consideration of a compulsory one year rural posting for all doctors graduating out of medical schools

This is one of the most contentious provisions of the Bill even though the way it is worded, such a course cannot be cleared by NMC without a unanimous decision. Suggestions received on the course included limiting it to BDS and MDS degree holders. The standing committee also recommended that a minimum compulsory period of working within the Country be prescribed before doctors who have studied in government colleges can be allowed to serve outside the Country. It also recommended compulsory rural posting subject to the availability of requisite infrastructure.

“The Committee is also given to understand that a large number of doctors who study in government medical colleges at the cost of the taxpayers money leave the country at the first given opportunity. The Committee recommends that in all such cases a minimum compulsory period of working within the Country be prescribed before such Doctors can be allowed to serve outside the Country,” reads the general recommendations.

It goes on to say: “The Committee also recommends for consideration of a compulsory one year rural posting for all doctors graduating out of medical schools in the country subject to the condition that the requisite infrastructure facilities in terms of supporting staff, decent remuneration, necessary medical equipment and appropriate security are made available so that their training can be appropriately utilized for dealing with shortage of doctors in rural/remote areas of the country.

On the exit examination, called the National Licentiate Examination, the committee rules: “After detailed deliberations, the Committee came to the conclusion that Clause 32(1) the words any person who qualifies the National Licentiate Examination, as mentioned in line 45 (page 14 of the Bill) may be substituted by the words any person who qualifies the final year MBBS examination. The Committee, accordingly, recommends to re-draft the Clause so as to make the final year MBBS examination as the licentiate examination.”