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MCI Take-over: Malafide and Scheming (Team IMA 2018)

In an emergency session in Mumbai, the IMA Action Committee condemned the supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

This action of the Government, at a juncture when the election to MCI has been announced, is unwarranted and malafide. The composition of the Board of Governors (BOG) itself is unacceptable. Directors of major National institutions would scarcely find time to administer more than 450 medical colleges and their UG and PG courses. Moreover, there is no representation to women and Registered Medical Practitioners.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is convinced that supersession of MCI is only a smoke screen and ploy to prepare the ground for NMC and sabotage the democratic process of MCI. Why the Government was in a hurry to scuttle a democratic process needs an answer.

IMA’s concerns remain. Bringing MCI directly under the government control seems to be the plan to implementation of Bridge Courses, crosspathy and registration of non medical persons.

IMA demands that the BOG should refrain from taking any major policy decisions or amendments changing the character of the IMC Act.

IMA also demands that the election process in progress in MCI should be allowed to continue.

IMA will continue its resistance to NMC Bill. Any intentions of the NMC Bill implemented through the appointed BOG will be fought with determination.

• This is the fourth time that BOG is being appointed. All the previous attempts were an abject failure.
• The eminent clinicians appointed have little exposure to the day-to-day administration of MCI.
• The Government has not cited any reason for superseding MCI.
• MCI Election process is on.  It was inappropriate for the Government to supersede at this stage. This betrays a malafide intention.
• BOG should conform to the basic tenets of IMC Act and refrain from tinkering with its fundamental structure.
• Crosspathy, registration of non medical persons, bridge courses and mixing of syllabi are core concerns. The fidelity, identity and the privileges of the profession will be defended at any cost.
• 184 private medical colleges are awaiting recognition due to strict norms of the outgoing MCI team.  IMA, media and the people should keep vigil in this regard.
• IMA foresees a highly difficult period ahead when checks and balances have been removed.
• A generation of substandard doctors will be the legacy of this action.
• IMA will keep its tryst with destiny and redeem the profession from dark forces. Every single challenge thrown at the profession will be repulsed with single minded.

Fake news in cancer can be devastating. A decline in public trust in doctors and the rise of misinformation and “fake news” spread via the Internet and Whatsapp has led to an increase in the use of unproven, unconventional treatments by cancer patients. Efforts to communicate genuine medical advances need to be redoubled.

The editorial, published in the September 2018 issue of the Lancet Oncology, says that the “collision” between greater patient autonomy, falling trust, and the rise in social media has led to an increase in self-diagnosis and the use of alternative therapies by cancer patients. This may result in patients refusing conventional, proven therapies and increase their risk for death compared with patients who follow recommended treatment regimens.

Mild TBI too is associated with dementia risk. Investigators used data from two Veterans Health Administration (VHA) databases to study over 350,000 veterans with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI) and found that mild TBI, both with and without loss of consciousness, was associated with an approximately twofold increase in dementia risk, although the risk was somewhat higher in those who had experienced loss of consciousness. Moderate to severe TBI was associated with an almost fourfold higher risk (JAMA Neurology, September 2018).

Diseased liver cells can be detected in the peripheral blood. Patients with CLD and more severe fibrosis were found to have significantly more hepatic circulating epithelial cells in their blood. So-called liquid biopsy offers the possibility of non-invasive cancer detection (Gastroenterology, September 14, 2018).

Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect CMAAO
President Heart Care Foundation of India