IMA criticises Centre for inappropriate medical reforms amid a pandemic

New Delhi, Oct 1 : The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called out the Centre for responding inappropriately to the pandemic on Thursday. In a strongly-worded statement, the national body of doctors has condemned the series of reforms in medical education the Centre has pushed recently.
The IMA has alleged that concerns of the profession and people were brushed aside while enacting the National Medical Council Act 2019.
They also referred to clause 32 of National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, as a “crime against humanity,” which entitles all healthcare practitioners license to practice medicine in primary care.
As per IMA, it will jeopardise the lives of the patients.”This single clause (32 of NMC Act) will cost India millions of lives as it will allow half and partially trained non medical persons to treat patients, the IMA said.
“The community health providers are an assorted group of persons connected with the modern scientific medical profession. They can be anyone from laboratory technicians to optometrists. The NMC will provide them a licence to practice medicine in primary care. This will include a wide range of diseases and maternity. If they are overseen by other Community Health Providers, they can practice inside ICUs, Critical Care, Operation theatres, emergencies, Labour rooms, and anywhere in the secondary and critical care. This single clause 32 will cost India millions of lives. Letting loose half and partially trained non-medical persons to treat patients is a crime against humanity,” it explained.
The IMA also condemned the centre’s ambitious ‘one nation one system’ policy in medical education and called it a cocktail of disaster.