Kathmandu, March 31: Three institutions providing medical education have protested some of the provisions of the proposed National Medical Bill-2073 BS.
The proposed bill is currently under discussion in the Women, Children, Social Welfare and Elderly Citizens Committee of the Legislature-Parliament.
The Vice Chancellors of the Kathmandu University, the Patan Academy of Health Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Science, Bir Hospital have taken exception to the provision regarding formation of a commission which is contained in the proposed bill.
Speaking in the ‘discussion with stakeholders’ programme the Committee organised here today with the financial support of the UNDP, they argued that there was no need and rationale for a separate commission for regulating the institutions providing medical education and for ensuring the quality of medical education.
The proposed bill has a provision for constituting a separate medical commission under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister citing that based on the experience from across the world there is the practice of forming a separate commission for regulating the medical education and enhancing its quality.
However, the Vice Chancellors of the three institutions argued that there was no need for a separate commission as proposed in the bill since the Medical Council was already there for regulating the medical education sector and the universities concerned could themselves ensure the quality of medical education they provide.
Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University Prof Dr Ram Kantha Makaju, Vice Chancellor of PAHS Prof Dr Bharat Yadav and Vice Chancellor of NAMS Prof Dr Ganesh Gurung stressed on capacitating and empowering the existing structures instead of forming another body for regulating and ensuring the quality of medical education.
They called for providing more autonomy to the universities and the medical institutions.
Education Minister Dhaniram Poudel said that the National Medical Education Bill was necessitated for the institutionalized development of policy, process and practices of medical education, and explained that it was not meant for restricting the autonomy of the universities.
Committee president Ranju Kumari Jha said the proposed bill would be finalized only after seeking suggestions from the stakeholders.
