New Delhi August 02: Resident doctors and health professionals of different government hospitals in Delhi continued their protest against the controversial National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2019 for the second day on August 2.
What Health Minister said?
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on August 2 met the agitating doctors and told them the provisions in the MNC Bill will protect the sanctity of medical education and urged them to end the strike.
“I met doctors and cleared their misunderstandings over some provisions of the Bill and explained to them that it is in the interest of the nation and also in the interest of doctors and patients. I appealed to them to end their protest,” the minister said after meeting agitating doctors.
The minister said that the doctors had concerns about the NEET exam, AIIMS, the definition of the health provider and how it will be decided.
“I explained that community health provider is a concept of mid-level practitioners, which was also defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is already established in developed countries like China, Africa, America, England, Australia and others,” he added.
The minister told the doctors that the NMC Bill will be helpful for the entire medical fraternity and the whole nation.
Saying that the NMC Bill 2019 is a transparent and honest Bill, the minister said, “This Bill will be beneficial to the medical fraternity, country, patients and all aspiring doctors. This is the most transparent and honest Bill. This Bill will also protect the sanctity of medical education.”
What concerns doctors?
For the past two days, agitating doctors have been expressing concern over sections 32 and 15 of the Bill related to the licensing of health providers and the entrance exam for post-graduate course/NEXT.
Rajya Sabha approves MNC Bill 2019
Amid the uproar, the Rajya Sabha on August 2 approved the MNC Bill 2019. It was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha also.
The NMC Bill 2019 provides for the repeal of the Indian Medical Council Act 1956. According to this Bill, the final year MBBS exam will be known as National Exit Test (NEXT). This will work as a licentiate exam for entrance to post-graduate medical courses.
