After dilly dallying for more than two years, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has finally accepted to notify the Bachelor of Rural Health Care Course (BRHCC). Earlier, the MCI had proposed the government to either create a new regulatory council for notifying the course or link it with the health science universities. Citing that the Indian Medical Act does not permit the MCI to regulate a “non-doctorate” course, the council had washed off its hands from regulating it.
However, the issue seems to have settled among both the health ministry and the regulatory council.
Senior officials said that the MCI has now started looking into its Act.
Sources said that even the health ministry has started seeking legal opinion for the same purpose. If both — the health ministry and the MCI — decide to go for an amendment in the Act it will be considered during the Winter Session of Parliament, that starts next Thursday. “The government feels that the course should be regulated by the MCI and we have started looking into the issue. We are ready to do so and the matter is getting legally examined,” said Dr K.K. Talwar, head, board of governors (BoG), MCI.
Meanwhile, a task force constituted to look into the course has started fine tuning it. Experts had met on Friday for laying out details regarding the intake of principals, doctors etc. “The task force will meet tomorrow again to give final touches,” a senior official told this newspaper.
As reported by this newspaper first, the name of the course has already been changed to B.Sc community health, and the new cadre will be trained to provide only “ambulatory care”, which means training to be imparted in OPD care and not in-patient health care.