National Medical Commission (Amendment) Bill 2022

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently introduced a draft bill titled “National Medical Commission (Amendment) Bill 2022. It seeks to amend National Medical Commission Act, 2019.

Key amendment proposed in draft National Medical Commission (Amd) Bill 2022

Fifth Autonomous Board

• Setting up a Fifth Autonomous Board which will be called the Board of Examination in the Medical Science (BEMS) under National Medical Commission (NMC).
• Various functions performed by the Board (BEMS)
• conduct National Exit Test (NExT),
• accreditation of medical institutions conducting Diploma, Diplomate, and Fellowship postgraduate and Diploma & Fellowship in super specialty courses,
• determine the minimum requirements and standards for conducting upper mentioned courses and their examination in the institutions.
• conduct exit tests for award of Diploma, Diplomate, and Fellowship qualifications,

Limiting Jurisdictions

• The court cases filed by medical institutions/colleges against NMC or Central government shall be subjected to the jurisdiction of Delhi High Court.

Appeal Provision

• The patient/their relatives/complainant can file an appeal to Ethics and Medical Registration Board/NMC against State Medical Council in relation to medical negligence or professional misconduct.

National Medical Commission

• NMC is a statutory body established under the provisions of National Medical Commission Act 2019, to replace Medical Council of India.
• Four Autonomous Board constituted under NMC:
  • Under-Graduate Medical Education Board to set norms for UG courses.
  • Post-Graduate Medical Education Board to set norms for PG courses.
  • Medical Assessment and Rating Board to inspect and rate medical education institutions.
  • Ethics and Medical Registration Board to register and regulate the conduct of medical professionals.
• Functions of NMC
  • improve the accessibility to quality and affordable medical education,
  • ensure the availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals across the country,
  • promote equitable and universal healthcare
  • motivate medical professionals to adopt latest medical research in their work,
  • maintain a medical register and enforce high ethical standards in medical services,
  • established an effective grievance redressal mechanism.