The union government is planning to revive the dissolved governing body of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and a proposal is being made in this regard. However, there will be an overarching body to control the entire gamut of health education in the country, said V Narayanaswami, Union minister of state at the prime minister’s office (PMO).

The governing body of the top medical regulatory body in the country was dissolved by the central government in May 2010 through a Presidential ordinance following corruption charges against its then president Dr Ketan Desai. He was arrested on April 22, 2010 by the CBI for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs.2 crore to give permission to a medical college in Punjab for recruiting fresh batch of students without having requisite infrastructure. Consequently, it was revealed that the recent CBI catch was just a tip of the iceberg and corruption was deeply rooted in the MCI.

After the dissolution, the government had formed a board of governors comprising seven-members to replace the MCI.

Inaugurating a felicitation meeting organised by Indian Medical Association (IMA) TN branch in Chennai, the minister exhorted the members of the IMA to concentrate on rural healthcare services and wanted them to conduct medical camps in villages in every three months under the guidance of the medical association.

Narayanaswami said a total of Rs.93,000 crore was allocated for health sector in the union budget, out of which Rs.38,000 crore is for rural health. Diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, cancer etc. should be brought under the priority area. Country needs more healthcare institutions like AIIMS, the minister added.

Dr M Balasubrahmaniam, the president-elect for 2014 for TN IMA, said the period of the board of governors will expire in 2013, so IMA wants extension of the term till the election is held.

Dr L P Thangavelu, the present president for IMA Tamil Nadu branch while addressing the audience said he has given a representation to the union health minister seeking more representation to the IMA in the soon to be formed governing body of the MCI. He said, in Tamil Nadu alone 90,000 private doctors are practising and have membership with the IMA. From Pondicherry, IMA has a membership strength of 10,000 doctors. But, due representation is not given to the TN branch.

He requested the minister to form a new body without any drawbacks and give due representation to all the branches of IMA.