Doctors pursuing Indian systems of medicine, including ayurveda, and homeopathy may be allowed to practice allopathy after clearing a bridge course, according to a bill introduced in the Lok Sabha. The National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, which seeks to replace the existing apex medical education regulator, the Medical Council of India (MCI), with a new body, was moved by the government in the House yesterday. It provides for the constitution of four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting undergraduate and postgraduate education, assessment and rating of medical institutions and registration of practitioners under the National Medical Commission. The proposed measure has been strongly opposed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) which claimed that it will "cripple" the functioning of medical profession by making it completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non-medical administrators. The National Medical Commission will be a regulator appointed by the administrators under their direct control," IMA's president K K Aggarwal said.

Source: dna December 30, 2017 10:41 UTC