IMA state branch against proposed Medical Bill in Parliament

Dimapur, July 27 (EMN): The Indian Medical Association, Nagaland state branch came out strongly against the National Medical Commission Bill along with the amendments thereby proposed by the Government of India and moved by before the Lok Sahba. The IMA termed the proposed bill as 'anti-democratic, anti-federal,  anti-backward community students, anti-reservation and a move aimed at centralisation of authority'. A press release issued by the IMA, Nagaland state branch, appended by its president Dr. Kezevituo Keditsu, stated that the proposed bill by the Government of India has a 'draconian character which will cause irreparable damage to the interests of all the stakeholders and would reduce down the regularity mechanism to a puppetry with its strings attached to the government'. In this connection, the IMA, state branch elaborated listed out point by point ‘the salient damaging features and its harmful character of the proposed bill. The IMA stated that the stated that the proposed bill is 'anti-democratic' because 'the elected representation to nine out of the 29 members of the "National Medical Commission recommended by the Parliamentary committee, and elected representation on autonomous boards recommended by Parliamentary Committee will be "rejected by Government". It also termed the bill as 'anti-federal' because bill will marginalise the state representation to the extent that 'once represented for two years, it shall remain unrepresented for ten years'.  It also stated that the representation of universities has been negated, and autonomy of the state medical councils will be compromised as "it will be bound by the directions issued by the Government of India, National Medical Commission and Autonomous Boards". The IMA Nagaland state branch also termed the proposed bill as 'anti-poor and pro-rich' as the "management quota in private medical colleges and deemed universities will be raised from 15 % to 50 %. It also termed the proposed bill as 'anti-backward community students'. IT said that the final MBBS examination to be conducted by centralised authority on an All India basis, where the qualifying percentage will be raised from 50% from 40 percentile' which will result in prejudice towards backward community candidates. In this regard, the IMA, Nagaland state disclosed about the "2018 NEET results", community wise who secured more that 50% marks: General category 9%; OBC category 6%; SC category 1.92%; and ST category 0.62%. The IMA also termed the proposed bill as 'anti reservation' since the 'provision of eligibility for backward community students of 40th percentile eligibility withdrawn’; it is also anti-medical profession as "bridge course of six months for Ayush practioners to entitle them for modern medical practice with state authorities"; and it also termed the proposed bill as "anti-human" as permanent employees of the Medical Council of India would be terminated with 3 months notice". Moreover, the release stated that the bill seeks for 'centralization of authority' as the government of India will be vested with powers with regard to all nominations and selections, authority to issue bonding direction and authority of dissolution of commission. "It is for the protection of legitimate interests of all stakeholders, we call upon your good self to save the country from this cruel initiative that will cripple the entire healthcare delivery system and ruin the modern medicine graduates and postgraduates and dilute the entire medical profession as a whole.