Shyamhari Chakra
The Union Government has constituted the National Medical Commission (NMC), along with four Autonomous Boards as part of its massive reformation measures in the field of medical education.
With this, the decades old Medical Council of India (MCI) stands abolished.
The National Medical Commission Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament in August, 2019.
Along with NMC, the four Autonomous Boards of UG and PG Medical Education Boards, Medical Assessment and Rating Board and Ethics and Medical Registration Board have been constituted to help the NMC in its day to day functioning.
Dr S C Sharma, retired professor of AIIMS, Delhi has been selected as the Chairperson of NMC for a period of three years.
Besides the Chairperson, NMC will have 10 ex-officio members that include Presidents of the four Autonomous Boards, Dr. Jagat Ram, Director of PGIMER, Chandigarh, Dr Rajendra Badwe of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and Dr Surekha Kishore, Executive Director of AIIMS, Gorakhpur.
In addition, NMC will have 10 nominees from Vice Chancellors of Health Universities from States and Union Territories, nine nominees from State Medical Councils and three expert members from diverse professions.
Dr Smita Kolhe, noted social worker, working in tribal Melaghat area of Maharashtra and Santosh Kumar Kraleti, CEO, Foot Soldiers for Health Pvt Ltd. have been nominated as these expert members.
Dr R K Vats will head the Secretariat as Secretary of the NMC.
The key functions of the NMC will be streamlining regulations, rating of institutions, HR assessment, focus on research. Besides it will work on modalities of the common final year exam after MBBS to serve for both registration and PG entrance; prepare guidelines for fee regulation by private medical colleges and developing standards for Community Health Providers to serve in primary healthcare with limited practicing licence.
With the coming into effect of the NMC Act from 25th September, 2020, the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 stands repealed and the Board of Governors appointed in supersession of Medical Council of India has also been dissolved with effect from the said date, the Government announcement stated.
