India

Medical Council of India stands completely dissolved as the Central Govt enforces all provisions of NMC Act

The National Medical Commission Act was passed last year, despite opposition from doctors, medical students.

Credit : Government of India

The National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019 has been notified from Friday, September 25, by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). With this, the Medical Council of India - Board of Governors (MCI-BoG) stands dissolved. As per the notification issued by the MoHFW in this regard, the Indian Medical Act, 1956 is repealed with effect from today. Dr Suresh Sharma, who was a former HoD at the All India Institute of  Medical Science (AIIMS) has been appointed the Chairperson of NMC for three years.

"The Central Government hereby notifies that all the remaining provisions of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 shall come into force with effect from the 25th day of September 2020," states the notification signed by Joint Secretary Nipun Vinayak.

 

 

The members of four autonomous boards under NMC - Under-Graduate Medical Education Board, Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and Ethics and Medical Registration Board - have been announced. Several other provisions under the NMC Act, 2019 will also be implemented now. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam (NEET) for Postgraduate courses will now be replaced by the National Exit Test, which will also be the licentiate exam for the final year MBBS students and entrance exam for foreign medical graduates. As per the act, fees for 50 percent of the seats at the private medical colleges and deemed universities will also be regulated.

Several professionals in the medical fraternity have called this day of NMC Act implementation a black day, as the act was passed last year despite opposition from the doctors and students. Doctors have called the act pro- Privatisation as well as against the autonomy of premier medical institutes. One of the main reasons for opposition from doctors was however the promotion of integrative medicine. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had also opposed the issuing of licenses to non-medical practitioners as community health providers. The National Exit Test was also opposed by the students.

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