To
Dear Sir / Madam,
Indian Medical Association is the largest professional body of modern medicine doctors in India. It has a membership of 1, 98,000 spread over 1600 local branches and 27 state branches. The membership encompasses both Government and Private doctors; medical college teachers and young graduates; specialists and general practitioners. IMA bring to your attention the following facts:
1) Government of India by an ordinance dissolved Medical Council of India in 2010. This brought in a board of Governors replacing a federal and democratic MCI. Government of India is now planning to create a high arching body including non medical technical and management education obliterating the unique identity of medical profession. Government has no mandate to alter institutions in a way that could interfere with the constitutional guarantee to life. We,
a) Condemn the dissolution of MCI
b) Demand that the nominated Board of Governors of MCI be dismissed forthwith.
c) Demand restoration of MCI to its original character and form with representatives from each state.
2) IMA strongly condemns the arbitrary and autocratic decision of the adhoc MCI to introduce the National Entrance examination for MBBS course and thank the Government of Tamil Nadu for opposing this move. The Central Government must not implement this scheme till all the students are exposed to nation wide uniform common syllabus.
3) IMA resolve to oppose the move of MCI and Ministry of Health to introduce three year BRHC course, thereby producing half know ledged Medical practitioners and leaving rural Indians at their mercy for health care. The BRHC course should be stopped and more regular Medical College shall be started in rural areas and special reservations shall be given to rural students in these colleges.
When the urban population is being offered the best of healthcare, why is the rural population being asked to work with sub-standard healthcare service providers? The IMA cannot support this discrimination.”
“It is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which gives each citizen the Fundamental Right to equality. This new course violates the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, as per the Section 15 (2) (b) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
The minimum qualification to register for a medical practitioner under the Indian Medical Registry is an MBBS degree. The Medical Council Act categorically prohibits any person or body, including the State government, from starting sub-standard new courses for medical education/ training to produce doctors.
“There are better options available with the Union and State governments for providing medical care to our rural people, like opening more medical colleges in rural areas, one year compulsory rural service for medical graduates with the government giving incentives like preference in post-graduate selection and special rural salary structure.”
4) In its wisdom the Lok Sabha passed the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010 to regulate the hospitals of this country without even a semblance of discussion. This law effectively brings in a license raj. Every clinic and hospital in this country has to renew its license once in three years. There are already more than 43 laws governing the hospitals. By imposing a license raj a vibrant health sector is being targeted. IMA is concerned about the negative impact on the health of the nation by such retrograde regulation. We demand
a) Single window for all legislation on a hospital
b) To do away with licensing
c) Provide for online registration and independent voluntary accreditation process.
5) Quackery has become a menace in our state. To safeguard the public and also ensure smooth practice for all the qualified Allopathic and other system of Doctors an ANTI QUACKERY BILL must be enacted by the Government.
6) The existing vacancies of Professors and Associate professors in various Medical colleges must be filled in immediately to sustain the standard of medical education in our colleges.
We the members of Indian Medical Association express our anguish over the lackadaisical approach of Government of India over matters of great importance to the health of our people. We kindly request you to use your good offices to reflect our concern and demands to appropriate authorities.
Thanking you,
Yours in the cause of medical profession,