Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has hinted that the Drug and Magic Remedies Act will be amended soon. Apart from the existing norms related to the medicines, treatment procedures will also come under the purview of the Act. Besides, it will also curb the advertisements made by hospitals on various treatments they provide, the Minister said.
Speaking at the installation function of Association of Surgeons of India's (ASI) national president Dr C Palanivelu, held in Chennai on Sunday, Ramadoss said that with large number of practitioners of ISM or Allopathy claiming to have the cure for diseases like HIV or other diseases, it has become important to scientifically validate their claims. "If these practitioners have the treatment procedure with which they can cure deadly diseases like HIV, let them prove it to the government after the relevant body scientifically validates it. The Government of India will even try to promote the treatment if it is valid. Otherwise such acts need to be curbed. That is why we have decided to include the treatment procedure into the Act," he said.
The Union Minister said, that medical practice was a service to the humanity who has immense faith in a doctor. Hence it was disheartening to see people advertising their facilities in public places.
He said that the Clinical Establishment Act which is aimed at regulating or streamlining the hospital and diagnostics bodies in the country will be brought into force soon as the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet in the coming days. "Nowadays it has become possible for anyone to start a hospital even without proper facilities, risking the lives of poor patients. So it has become important that the Government extends an iron hand in regulating the sector. The Act will come into force anytime now," the Minister said.
In a bid to curb the illegal organ trade, the government would be amending the Organ Transplant Act, promoting the organ transplant by simplifying the procedures in place for donating the body parts. The entire procedure will be made transparent and accountable. The government will establish centres in the states as part of the promotional programme.
Speaking about medical education, Ramadoss said, that the curriculum will have to be changed and a more practical approach should be adopted. Stressing the need for drastic change in the curriculum, the Union Health Minister said that 70 per cent of the stuff the medical students study today was not being put to use by them. Instead, if a hands on approach is implemented it would be beneficial for the students as well as the society. He said, that medical research would be introduced in the UG level itself as research activities were lacking in India.
The Minister said that an Integrated Disease Surveillance Project with an investment of Rs 400 crore will start soon to identify the outbreak of diseases in the country. With this, the Health Ministry would be able to identify the outbreak of any disease in advance and can take necessary measures to control its spread.
Speaking to Pharmabiz about the proposed CDA (I), he said that the body would be promoting research activities in the pharmaceutical sector in order to promote the industry. He said, that the fear whether the body would affect the Small Scale Pharma Industry was unnecessary as it was a part of the amendment of the Drug and Cosmetics Act.
Ramadoss said that the Drug and Cosmetics Act would have legal and Penal clauses for regulating the industry; the CDA (I) and other regulatory clauses will also form a part of the Act.