PATNA: The Union Health Ministry is planning to amend the law on the Medical Council of India (MCI) in a bid to improve heath services across the country. Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters that the bill to amend the Act concerning the MCI was likely to be tabled in the coming session of Parliament.

Union Minister of State P. Laxmi was also present at the press conference. The two Union Ministers were here to launch the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Bihar with an outlay of Rs. 400 crores.

GoM recommendation

According to Mr. Ramadoss the Group of Ministers had made its recommendation for the Union Cabinet to make the MCI transparent, accountable and public-friendly. Mr. Ramadoss charged that the MCI had been taken over by vested interests.

The Union Health Ministry is also intending to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to make penal provisions more stringent for those dealing in spurious drugs.

Mr. Ramadoss proposes to bring in policy changes in a phased manner. He is working for the implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act. Doctors would have to undergo a Compulsory Medical Education course and compulsorily take up rural postings. They would have to get themselves registered every five years.

The Union Health Minister has had encouraging discussions with over 50 medical professional bodies on these issues which would ensure registration of private hospitals at the district level and their functioning under governmental guidelines.

The Government is aiming to upgrade hospitals particularly at the block level and the Centre has identified 200 blocks for the purpose.

As a special case all blocks in Bihar have been included in the scheme. The expenses on each would range from Rs. 20 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore.

The Ministry is seeking to obtain funds for the establishment of the six regional hospitals to be set up on the pattern of AIIMS, Delhi, in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal, the foundations for which were laid before the Lok Sabha elections by the NDA Government.

He hoped to seek private participation in the establishment of these hospitals.

Stressing immunisation programmes, Mr. Ramadoss said that auto-disabled syringes would be used for better results.

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