NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION SET UP
The Medical Council of India was confirmed in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933. Its main task was to establish uniform standards for higher education in the field of medicine and for recognition of medical qualifications of India and abroad, now it has been canceled.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) was constituted on September 25, 2020, as the apex regulator of medical education and vocation in the country.
IMPORTANT FACTS
With the NMC Act coming into force with effect from September 25, 2020, the Medical Council of India Act, 1956 has been repealed and the Board of Governors appointed by the Medical Council of India has also been abolished with immediate effect.
- In addition, 4 autonomous boards have also been constituted. Along with NMC, undergraduate and post-graduate medical education boards, medical assessment and standards board, and ethical and medical registration board have been constituted, which will assist the NMC in its day-to-day functioning.
- Retired Professor of ENT Department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi Dr. S. C. Sharma has been appointed as the chairman of the commission for three years.
- Besides the chairman of the NMC, 10 other officers will be members, including the chairman of the four autonomous boards.
- The main functions of the commission are to streamline the regulatory regime, evaluation of institutions, HR assessment, and more focus on research.
- With this, the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 has been repealed, and now the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 has come into force.
NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION
NATIONAL MEDICAL COMMISSION (NMC)
PURPOSE
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has been established mainly as a government step to improve the medical education sector.
It is noteworthy that earlier the government had decided to abolish the Medical Council of India (MCI) due to allegations of corruption.
COMPOSITION
The National Medical Commission will have a total of 33 members, who will be appointed by the Central Government on the recommendations of a special committee.
These members will consists of a chairman and 10 other ex-officio members and 22 part-timers.
The commission will consist of experts in the fields of management, law, medical ethics, etc and be nominated by the states and union territories as part-time members.
FUNCTIONS
The main function of the National Medical Commission (NMC) is to streamline the regulatory system of the medical sector, evaluate institutions, and pay more attention to research.
In addition, the National Medical Commission sets standards on the modalities for the post-MBBS final year examination (National Exit Test-NEXT).
Its other functions are to regulate the fee structure of private medical schools and take measures to improve primary health care by community health workers.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) will consist of four separate autonomous boards-
1.Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB): This body will work to prepare medical qualifications, syllabus, guidelines for medical education and recognition of medical qualifications at the undergraduate level.
2. Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB): This body will work to prepare medical qualifications, syllabus, guidelines for medical education and recognition of medical qualifications at the postgraduate level.
3. Medical Assessment and Rating Board: This board will have the power to impose a monetary penalty on the institutions which fail to maintain the minimum standards set by UGMEB and PGMEB.
The board will also allow the setting up of the new medical colleges.
4. Ethics and Medical Registration Board: This board will maintain a national register of all licensed physicians in the country and will also regulate the professional conduct of doctors.
The board will also create a register of all licensed community health providers in the country.
BACKGROUND
Prior to the establishment of the National Medical Commission (NMC), The medical education and profession in the country were being regulated by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
However, since its formation, many issues have come to the fore regarding the liability, because of corruption and the role of the Medical Council of India (MCI) in its organization and regulation.
In the year 2018, the government dissolved the Medical Council of India (MCI) following the allegations of corruption and replaced it with a Board of Governors (BoG), headed by a member of NITI Aayog.
Thereafter, the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 was passed by the Lok Sabha in the year 2019 and thus it (NMC) came into existence.