Govt approves removal of provision of 'bridge course' in NMC Bill

March 28, 2018 21:36

The government today approved amendments to the National Medical Commission Bill including removing the contentious provision of "bridge course", which would have allowed practitioners of alternative medicines to pursue allopathy, an official statement said.

Observing the need to act strictly against unqualified practitioners, the government approved an amendment to make the punishment for any unauthorised practice of medicine "severe" by including a provision for imprisonment of up to one year along with a fine extending to up to Rs five lakh.

The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved that the final MBBS examination would be held as a common exam throughout the country and would serve as an exit test to be called the National Exit Test.

Thus, students would not have to appear in a separate exam after MBBS to get licence to practice and 'NEXT' would serve as the screening test for doctors with foreign medical qualifications in order to practice in India, the statement said.

According to the statement, the provision dealing with "bridge course" for AYUSH practitioners to practice modern medicine has been removed.

The provision was strongly opposed by health organisations, including the Indian Medical Association, which said allowing AYUSH doctors practise modern medicine would promote "quackery".

The health ministry, however, had stated that the provision seeks to address "acute shortage" of doctors in India.

"It has been left to state governments to take necessary measures for addressing and promoting primary health care in rural areas," the statement said.

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