RS-NMC

Rajya Sabha takes up National Medical Commission Bill
New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) The Rajya Sabha on Thursday took
up the National Medical Commission Bill which is facing stiff
protest from the medical fraternity, as it witnessed a
brief adjournment in between over Union Health Minister Harsh
Vardhan or his deputy not being present in the Upper House.
Shortly after the House reconvened after lunch for
continuing discussion on the Bill that seeks to replace the
Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body, Congress
leader Jairam Ramesh raised an objection to the Union
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan not being present in the House.
Some other members from Congress, CPI and DMK were also
on their feet to protest against the absence of the Union
Minister as well as the MoS in the Department of Health and
Family Welfare.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey is the Minister of State for Health
and Family Welfare.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh said the minister has been
informed and is coming to the House.
With members unrelenting, Union Minister Thaawarchand
Gehlot said the minister will be in the House and in the
meantime he was taking notes of the points raised by members,
    He said the ministers have a collective responsibility.
However, with protests seeking the presence of minister
continuing, Deputy Chairman Harivansh adjourned the House for
10 minutes.
In the meantime, both Harsh Vardhan and Choubey came to
the House before the proceedings resumed.
The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
Among other things, it has a provision for setting
uniform national standards in medical education by proposing
the final year MBBS exam be treated as an entrance test for PG
and a screening test for students who graduate in medicine
from foreign countries.
AIADMK's Vijila Sathyananth said the medical entrance
examination was a burning issue in her state Tamil Nadu.
"Our children are forced to attempt the exam in the CBSE
syllabus. Bring a common syllabus for whole India and then
have a common entrance examination. So, we completely oppose,
we reject the already institutionalised National Eligibility
cum Entrance Test (NEET) in our country," she said.
Sathyananth said NEET and NEXT (National Exit Test)
should not be enforced in the country.
Sasmit Patra of the BJD proposed setting up of a National
Medical Education Scholarship Fund to be operated by the
Centre and states in conjunction to ensure that meritorious
students are not deprived of their rightful share of attaining
medical education.
In his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, Santanu Sen from
All India Trinamool Congress said the entire medical
fraternity was on roads since last two weeks to oppose the
"draconian" Bill.
He said the provisions of the Bill are such that it will
lead to complete corporatisation of the medical education in
the country.
Sen said the Bill completely outrages federalism and
snatches the autonomy of the state medical councils as they
will remain bound to follow the decisions of the National
Medical Council.
    He said the Bill will indirectly lead to mushrooming of
private medical colleges across the country, besides opening
the floodgates of corruption. He demanded that the Bill be
sent to a Select Committee.
Ram Nath Thakur of the JDU supported the Bill and said
the number of medical colleges in the country should be
increased so that more doctors can be produced.
Manoj Kumar Jha of the JDU said lakhs of doctors are on
strike against the Bill and their concerns should be looked
into. He said the Bill will lead to brazen privatisation of
medical education in the country.
Tiruchi Siva of the DMK claimed that the government
initially attempted to encroach upon the powers of the states,
and now it was taking away the powers of the states. He
demanded that every state have a representation in the
Commission.
He stated that after introduction of NEET, students
belonging to backward communities were not able to get
admission in medical colleges, saying they cannot afford to
pay the high fee charged for enrolment in coaching centres.
Nominated member Narendra Jadhav supported the Bill.
    Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also strongly opposed
the provision in the bill that aims to provide license to 3.5
lakh unqualified non-medical persons to practise modern
medicine.
    He said,"I strongly opposed this clause. You are
replacing the earlier Cabinet decision of a three and a half
year science course (for medical practitioners) by a mid level
health professionals (like nurse, blood sample collector,
compounder."
    Criticising the government,he said: "Are we making 70
per cent of population Guinea pigs."
    Earlier the Congress as well as Samajwadi Party on
urged the government to withdraw a provision in the Bill which
aims to provide license to 3.5 lakh unqualified non-medical
persons to practise modern medicine, saying it will
"institutionalise quackery."
    On the exit test, Azad asked,"If a students qualifies the
EXIT test but does not come on merit for post graduation
course then what would he do? Whether he would again appear
for the test to qualify the entrance for PG course."
    He also expressed concerned over lower than expected rise
in medical seats in the country despite some administrative
decision taken by erstwhile UPA government.
    K K Ragesh CPI (M) said education is in the concurrent
list and this bill will take away the right of states for
fixing fee and registration of medical colleges.
    He said,"You are making the body as central government
department...send it to select committee."
S K Gupta of AAP described it as undemocratic bill.
    A Navaneethakrshnan (AIADMK) also strongly opposed the
bill.
    Sanjay Raut (SS), Ashok Siddharth (BSP), Gopal Narayan
Singh (BJP) and K Keshava Rao (TRS) alsdo participated in the
discussion on the bill. PTI RSN KKS
TVS TVS

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)