New Delhi, November 25: Centre’s proposal regarding reviewing the tuition fees for students of the top medical college and the user charges for various diagnostic procedures like blood tests, X-rays and OPD charges for its patients has been strongly opposed by the AIIMS Resident Doctors Association. The proposal has been opposed by AIIMS RDA as it strongly supports quality and affordable education for all sections of the society.
Quality and affordable education
“Quality education and healthcare are the building blocks of our nation and we will not allow any person, organization or the government to compromise on them in any aspect. We need educated and skilled citizens to fulfill our long-cherished dream of becoming a developed nation. This dream can be fulfilled only if both the central and state governments make quality education affordable and healthcare accessible to all citizens,” said AIIMS RDA in a statement.
No hike in tuition fees and user charges
“We, the resident doctors, are against the memorandum issued by the administration. We are against any kind of increase in the tuition fees of students and user charges for patients in all medical institutes. We request all policymakers to think logically and take concrete steps in this direction so that our nation can fare far better than where it stands at present in the global healthcare access and quality (HAQ) index as well as the global quality Education Index (EI),” AIIMS RDA president, Dr. Amarinder Malhi has been quoted as saying to a national daily.
A senior health ministry official has shared that the decision to review the tuition fees of students has been taken by the Central Institute Body (CIB) of the six AIIMS, including the one in Delhi, headed by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. The Body will also evaluate to fix a uniform user charge on various diagnostic procedures like blood tests and X-rays.
The official said that all departments, sections, wings and facilities are directed by the New Delhi AIIMS administration, under the Centre’s instruction, to submit details of charges levied in a particular format, detailing various services, their actual current cost and the reasons for setting the user charges lower than the current cost.
“The user charge is an important component of the non-tax revenues of the institute and each ministry/department should undertake an exercise to identify the user fees levied by it and publish the same on its website,” the memorandum stated citing Rule 47 of the General Financial Rules, 2017.