Cuttack: The Odisha Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) opposed the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, describing it as "anti-people" and "anti-medical profession", while observing a Dhikkar Divas here on Saturday.

The Odisha Chapter took part in the protest in response to a nationwide call given by the IMA to protest against the bill, which seeks to replace the apex medical education regulator, the Medical Council of India, with the new National Medical Commission.

"The bill is of draconian character. It is anti-people and anti-medical profession," said IMA-Odisha Chapter secretary Janmejaya Mohapatra.

"It brings regimentation and lack of choice, forcing the state medical councils to abide by the commission in all issues."

"The state medical councils came into existence because of legislations of state legislatures. They are fully under the control of state governments and have the independence to function, especially in regulating medical practice. They do not interfere in medical education. This independence, including disciplinary control of medical practice, is vital," he said.

The bill seeks to introduce a common entrance examination and licentiate examination that all medical graduates would have to clear to get a licence to practice.

State health universities have a robust role in modulating the syllabi and the curriculum of medical education. "The bill relegates them to a secondary role in the National Advisory Council. They are the ones, who confer degrees on medical graduates," said IMA-Odisha Chapter president Santosh Kumar Mishra.

"In fact, the bill goes against the federal nature of India as it marginalises state governments, state medical councils and state health universities," Mishra said.

The group's finance secretary Braja Kishore Dash said the bill, even after proposed amendments, was "crassly pro-rich".

"If the bill is passed in its current form, medical education will become inaccessible to the poor and produce doctors predominantly from the rich and urban sections of the population."

"The concept of a centrally-administered final MBBS exam will be highly detrimental to students from the rural and tribal areas. As this exam has an urban and rich bias built into them, it will affect students from the downtrodden and backward communities," he said.