Lok Sabha on Monday, passed the Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill) to allow a panel of professionals to run the scam-tainted Medical council of India.
The body issued to regulate medical education in September this year will be replaced by Indian Medical Council Bill.
Emphasizing on the Bill, the Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said that the bill will replace the Medical Council of India and the powers of the council will be provided to the Board of Governors to perform till a council is constituted.
“In the interim period, the Central government will constitute a Board of Governors, which will exercise the powers of the MCI. The Bill allows for eminent administrators to be selected on the Board. Further, the Bill provides for the Board of Governors to be assisted by a Secretary-General appointed by the Central government,” the bill says.
“Reputed doctors from pioneer institutions of the country have been brought for the constitution of the Board and it has been working under the Board’s guidance,” Nadda said.
There is a separate bill which is pending with the government to replace the Medical Council of India with the National Medical Commission.
“This bill has been issued so that medical education can be regulated in the best manner, as MCI turned out to be a massive failure,” he said.
According to him, the government was forced to come up with this bill as the oversight committee formed by the government on suggestions of Supreme Court resigned and MCI could not function.
“As the oversight committee constituted by the government on the direction of the Supreme Court had resigned en masse citing the reason that its instructions were not being followed, the government was forced to bring in this Bill as the MCI could not function. Thereafter the government came with an ordinance,” said Nadda.