In a status quo, the health ministry is likely to keep the reins of medical education in its hands for now. There have been disagreements lately within the government, with ministry of human resource development and ministry of health laying a claim to look after the health of medical education in the country.
Top officials of health ministry after having met their counterparts in the ministry of human resources and development on Tuesday conveyed the need to retain medical education within its purview on the pretext that medical science couldn?t be segregated from the country?s health policy.
?Medical science cannot be divorced from actual health policy,? Sujatha Rao, secretary, minsitry of health said after meeting her HRD counterpart Vibha Puri Das.
She said that health ministry plans to set up National Council for Human Resource in Health (NCHRH), which will look into health education and set standards and regulation for health sciences and research.
The HRD ministry is keen on setting up an overarching body in higher education?National Council for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) and bring all aspects of higher education, including medical education under its ambit.
The health ministry had earlier expressed reservations on clubbing a specialised area like health education under the tag of general education. The officials of both the ministries on Tuesday expressed their willingness to work in tandem for improving higher education and health sciences.
?We discussed the NCHER and how we can work in tandem with the other ministries. The health ministry officials are very positive about how to bring about the best possible reforms and what will be the best possible way forward so that we can improve the quality of higher education,? Das said.
On the objections raised by the health ministry to the proposal to include health education under NCHER, Das said the HRD ministry is yet to take a final view on functions of the proposed body. A task force set up by the ministry has prepared the draft NCHER bill.
?There were apprehensions about health education and National Council for Higher Education and Research. As on today, the task force has prepared the document of the council. The ministry is yet to take a final view.
The ministry will take a decision in consultation with all ministries. We are discussing and working towards an agreed solution,? Das said. The issue has assumed further significance, after the statutory body Medical Council of India was dissolved through an ordinance earlier this month and replaced it with a seven-member body.