Srinagar
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today on Thursday held an executive body meeting to discuss and deliberate on Medical Council Bill in present form recommend by standing parliamentary committee on health.
The meeting was also attended by Prof. G.M Malik President Indian Medical Association (IMA) Kashmir Chapter, Dr Yousuf Tak Conveyor Jammu Kashmir Doctors Coordination Committee (JKDCC).
The spokesman in a statement said that while expressing gratitude and satisfaction on recommendations forwarded by Parliamentary Standing Committee on health to the government of India, Doctors Association Kashmir(DAK) president Dr Suhail Naik said that the Medical Commission Bill in the previous form will prove disastrous for developing health care system in the country.
“The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has strongly recommended to the government to avoid bridging of AYURVEDA, YOGA, HOMEOPATHIC and other alternative medicine Practitioners to practice allopathic medicine after a short bridge course. The bill in the previous form was allowing them to practice modern allopathic medicine after completing a short bridge course. Following opposition from the medical fraternity over different provisions of the proposed legislation, one of which was the ‘bridge course’, the Bill was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee,” said a statement.
“The provision of the Bill was strongly opposed by health bodies, including the IMA, DAK and JKDCC which claimed that allowing AYUSH, BUMS, and alternative medicine doctors to practice modern allopathic medicine would promote “quackery”,” said a statement.
General Secretary DAK, Dr Owais H Dar said that “the parliamentary standing committee has also recommended that there shall be no standard entrance exam for MBBS graduates to get practising licenses. The committee has recommended against a common nationwide exit test for MBBS doctors called as the National Licentiate Examination (NLE) and asked the NLE be integrated with the final year MBBS examination and be conducted at the state level.
He further added that “the health committee has also recommended that fee structure of private medical colleges be fixed by respective state governments and not by college authorities”.
Pertinently the health bill is going cabinet and Parliament for discussion and final nod.
Meanwhile, DAK has supported the protest march given by Indian Medical Association on March 25 at Delhi to press the government for the best health care system and medical education in the country. Dr Mohd Yusuf Tak, Convener of JKDCC which is Conglomerate of all doctor organization working in Jammu and Kashmir, has also extended full support to DAK programme. DAK is holding candlelight march at 7 pm in Srinagar on 25th March in this regard.
