The Indian Medical Association (IMA) will soon propose amendments in Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act to the Union health ministry, to avoid replacement of Medical Council of India (MCI) with National Medical Commission (NMC). The association has recently met the Union minister for health and family welfare J P Nadda to highlight the issues that medical professionals may face with the constitution of the NMC.

The health ministry has assured the IMA that the proposed amendments will be given a thought. The ministry itself has suggested the association to submit their suggestions that is needed in the current IMC Act, to avoid the abolition of MCI.

Objecting the proposed NMC Bill, the association has also organised a satyagraha recently. All the 30 state branches and 1,765 local branches of IMA has organised a 2-hour dharna as part of stop NMC satyagraha, in every district in India. The dharna was organised as a reminder to the government to intervene and sort out the major problems faced by the medical profession.

Dr Jayesh Lele, president-elect of IMA Maharashtra says, “Maharashtra has 100 branches of IMA, all of them participated in the satyagraha and handed over the memorandum to the district magistrates across the state. The IMA headquarters in Delhi also had a meeting with J P Nadda, who has given a patience listening to our demands and has also suggested to submit our suggestions for the amendment of IMC Act. We are preparing the draft and will soon send it to the government.”

The association is of the view that the proposed NMC bill takes away the voting right of every doctor in India to elect their medical council. Medical Council of India is a representative body of the medical profession in India. Roughly 2/3rd of its members are elected through various electoral processes. Any registered medical practitioner in the country can contest the elections and every qualified doctor can vote. Abolishing an institution and replacing it by a totally nominated body is certainly unacceptable to the association.

The association also wants the government to consider their long pending  demands of framing a central act for prevention of assault on doctors and health institutions; capping of compensation; amendment in PCPNDT Act; amendment in Clinical Establishment Act and introduction of Anti Quackery Bill.