Manipal: The Centre would arm itself with powers to suspend or dismiss heads or members of Indian Medical Council and Dental Council of India if need be, Union
Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad said here on Monday.
"The union government will empower itself with powers to suspend or dismiss heads of regulatory bodies Indian Medical Council and Dental Council of India, if the need arises," he said at the sidelines of a function here.
He said the amendments proposed to the Indian Medical Council and Dental Council Acts would soon be brought up before the cabinet meeting for discussion. Under the existing Act enacted in 1956, these bodies enjoy autonomous status and the government has no power to act against anyone, he said, apparently referring to corruption
charges faced by MCI head in the recent past.
Under the proposed amendments, all four councils -- Medical, Dental, Pharmaceutical and Allied Health would be brought under one roof, Azad said. He said the government has decided to accord top priority to population stabilisation programme. "We are sitting on a volcano... the population stabilisation programme will be implemented as a national programme", he said
Later, addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Keshav Bandrakar Centre for Maternal and Child Health at Kasturba Institute Of Medical Science here, he said the
government has set a target of bringing down maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate to at least 100 per one lakh and 30 per 1000 in the next four years.
He outlined the initiatives taken by the government to augment strength of doctors and para medical staff.
PTI
