House panel approves NMC bill

Disapproves National Level Exit Exam

 The contentious National Medical Commission bill (NMC) which seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body, received approval from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health with several riders that include doing away with the proposed National Level Exit Exam (NLE).

The original bill had the provision of a National Licentiate Examination, which a MBBS graduate needs to pass in order to be registered as a practising doctor.

Arguing that the licentiate examination may put undue stress on students, the panel asked the health ministry to modify the MBBS final examination in such way that it would serve as the exit test by also assessing the skills of the would-be doctors.

The lawmakers were in support of replacing the scam-tainted Medical Council of India with the National Medical Commission, but with greater representation from the states and the medical community.

On the controversial clause of allowing the Ayurveda or homeopathy doctors to prescribe some of the modern medicines after passing a bridge course, the committee suggested that it should be left to the state governments to decide on filling up the vacancies at the primary health care centres and the concept of bridge course shouldn't figure in the central law.

The draft legislation was sent to the Standing Committee in January after a section of the doctors threatened to launch a strike against some of the provisions in the bill and MPs wanted a review of the controversial legislation.

Observing that "there had been a loss of credibility of the MCI", the House panel said the new legislation should "provide for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education … in all parts of the country and.. enforces high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services."

In an effort to stop corruption in medical regulation, the panel proposed disclosure of asset by each of the NMC member at the time of their joining and after completion of the tenure.

The penalty provisions for medical colleges, too, were broad-based with colleges being given repeated opportunity to improve.

On the proposed universal exit examination, the panel said, "Unless the NLE is carefully designed, there is apprehension that a sizable number of MBBS doctors who have passed their university level examinations, may be debarred from practice on disqualifying NLE."

"This will not only undermines the sanctity of the examinations conducted by various universities but also puts an extra pressure on the system when the country is already facing a shortage of doctors," said the report tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday.