jiafm, 2010-32(2) april-june. - forensic medicine

ISSN 0971-0973 J Indian Acad Forensic Med, 32(2)Role of Board of Governors and New MCI Members:It is well said that “A person is known not only by the company he keeps but also by the company heavoids”. This is well suited about the role and conduct of past MCI members well evident from CBI Report, MCIMinutes, court judgments on many previous occasions. Many past members are on pay role of private managementholding double posts in MCI various committees any molding MCI rules and regulations with impunity. RTI use bymany public spirited doctors found that CBI and CVO find many of them indulged in corrupt practices andrecommended various disciplinary actions against them including secretary of MCI and one of the Vice-Chancellorof a Private University and many of them holding posts even after completing 65 years.The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2010 (Ordinance 2 of 2010) was promulgated by thePresident Pratibha Devi Singh Patil on 15 th May 2010, came into force with immediate effect that empowers theCentral Government to superseded the MCI.Whereas upon the supersession of the MCI and until a new Council is reconstituted within a period of one year, as afirst step, the Central Government exercising its power under Section 3A (4) of the IMC Act, 1956, has now createda six-member “Board of Governors”, to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the MCI under newlyinserted Section 3A (2) of the Ordinance 2010.Need for restoring the public confidence in the MCI:We all hope and trust that the Board of Governors and present Administrators shall restore the publicconfidence in the MCI and bring the Medical Council back on its feet so that it is able to discharge its statutoryfunctions in accordance with the spirit and object of setting up the MCI.To ensure and restore the credibility of highest medical education regulating body following steps arerecommended:Firstly, Auditing of MCI activities by third parties which can appropriately assess the performance. Secondly,ensuring Transparency in the accreditation and inspection system of educational institutions by publicly displayinginformation of complaints against medical institutions and their effective time bound redressal. Central Governmentshould ensure regular, free and fair elections of key office-bearers especially from the medical teaching category,under the supervision of court‟s observers. The role of the Central and State Governments is immense in ensuringnominated members who are honest, efficient and public-minded especially from medical teaching background bydefining criteria about qualifications and experience through a search committee as in case of appointment of Vice-Chancellors of the University.Central Government intends to separate the two functions of the MCI: medical education and registration ofmedical practitioners and hand them over to new institutions. Medical Education will come under the ambit of theNational Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER), which, in turn, will be overseen by theMinistry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), and the registration of medical practitioners under theNational Council for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH), to be overseen by the Ministry of Health andFamily Welfare.The Central Government‟s focus on MCI‟s affairs is, therefore, quite welcome step. But creating new institutions isnot necessarily the best way of correcting the manifold problems of the health sector. The health sector, it is wellknown, requires an overall perspective and accountability that only a single entity devoted to the sector can provide.One should not forget that there was a reason why the MCI was formed as an independent, professional regulator.The health sector requires the creation of in-depth expertise which, if not available, has devastating ramifications.Only health sector experts have the necessary understanding of the professional and technical issues involved inhealth care to design and implement appropriate regulations. This is well recognised and consequently, all over theworld, it is professionally-run medical associations that are in charge of such matters.Also, the NCHER under the MHRD will be working across different sectors; there is generalized apprehension thatIndia‟s bureaucracy will be put in charge of a technical area, so that the cure becomes worse than the originalmalady. The world over, the trend is to provide greater powers to sector experts who have the necessaryunderstanding of their sector and profession.This is the right time before all of us including responsible government authorities, higher judiciary, andleadership of medical fraternity to come forward and play their much desired role in a largest democracy of theglobe in participatory manner to save and serve the humanity.Editor100