The Union health ministry on Thursday reconstituted the board of governors (BoG) of the Medical Council of India (MCI), making Dr R.K. Srivastava, former director-general of health services (DGHS), its chairman. The new BoG will work for a period of six months after which the newly-elected body of the MCI will have to be brought in.
The other members nominated on the board are Prof. K.S. Sharma of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Dr Raja Babu Panwar, cardiologist from Rajasthan, Dr B.K. Rao from Sir Gangaram Hospital, Dr A.K. Bardhan, Medical director, B.C. Roy Medical College, Dr Manoj Singh from All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr Mohandas.
Even as senior officials in the ministry disclosed that the notification to this effect will soon be out, Dr Srivastava said that he does not know about this development. “I am not aware of this decision,” he told this newspaper.
The appointment of the new board indicate a shift in the balance of power towards the Union health ministry in what was believed to be an ongoing cold turf war between the two. One of the former members, who did not wish to be named, said that the changes in the leadership was expected. “We were expecting the changes in the board. However, the good part is that the new board consist of old members too which may help in better understanding of the matters between the ministry and the MCI. At least, there will be some continuity.”
The government brought an ordinance to govern the regulatory body after it failed to get through Indian Medical Council (amendment) Bill in the Parliament that proposed to reconstitute the elected body of the MCI.