Single Council to Oversee Medical Education
Union health ministry has decided to convert all regulatory bodies including the Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Pharmacy Council and the Nursing Council into a single regulatory body ' National Council for Human Resources in Health ' which will oversee seven departments related to medicine, nursing, dentistry, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, pharmacy, public health/hospital management and allied health sciences. This will not only perform the regulatory functions but perform functions of assessment and accreditation of medical and health institutions across the country.
The council will coordinate the entire range of medical and health education in India. This will include detailing the course and period of study including practical training, subjects of examination and standards of proficiency, conditions for admissions to courses, provide guidelines on curriculum planning, monitoring and overseeing implementation of UG/PG courses. Sources admit that the single regulatory body would be the best surgical solution for cleansing the system. Medical education today is purely based on bank balance and caste. The existing councils besides being impractical have failed to provide a synergistic approach. There is an urgent need for innovation in health-related education. It is unfortunate that medical seats are auctioned in front of students today. The task force has also proposed that prominent hospitals across the country would be allowed to offer post-graduate courses as the PG seats are so few that students have no option but to study what is given to them rather than what they want to pursue. The council will be constituted as an autonomous body independent of government controls with adequate power, including quasijudicial. Private Medical colleges also place a heavy burden of fees on students and their admissions procedures are not transparent. Sources said the Center will now take this move to all the states before implementing it. The Union health ministry has already prepared a draft bill titled The National Council for Human Resources in Health Draft Bill, 2009. The council will even set standards for education for granting qualification as a medical practitioner, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, auxiliary, dentist and various other related professions. It will also prescribe standards of professional conduct, etiquette and code of professional ethics to be observed by medical practitioners. The council will also provide minimum standards of education for distance and web based education not just for institutions but for healthcare professionals too. Despite an extensive network of government funded clinics/hospitals providing low cost care, curative health services in India is largely provided by the private sector. The council will be an effective link for the entire health system. For instance, when doctors have to teach nurses to become practitioners or nurse anesthesiologists, a specialized committee will provide guidance.  NATIONAL EXIT TEST : All central and state universities conduct their own examinations and award degrees, the national council will conduct national-level exit examinations to standardize UG/PG medical and allied health courses. This screening examination shall be mandatory for students who have successfully completed UG from a foreign institution that is not recognized by the council. With this, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) shall be archived. Sources say that this exit examination will be equivalent to an MD/MS awarded by any recognized university in the country. It will be conducted online and will mostly follow a multiple choice format which will incorporate the clinical aspect of medical practice. Add Comment CommentsYou may also like to read
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