Govt to Bring in Ordinance to Scrap MCI, Appoint Panel

Following resignation of Dr Ketan Desai from the post of president of Medical Council of India (MCI), the Union Health Ministry is going to introduce an ordinance to take over the regulator body and appoint a Board of Governor in its place, said media reports.

Reports said that the Cabinet yesterday granted in principle approval to the ordinance.

According to reports, the government plans to appoint seven eminent medical practitioners and health experts in place of the present MCI to perform its job and government will have no role in new set up.

The ordinance, however, would be effective till the next session of Parliament and the future course or action would be decided thereafter, reports said.

The government decided to brining in the ordination as MCI president Ketan Desai was arrested last month by the CBI for allegedly striking a Rs 2 crore deal for giving permission to a private medical college in Patiala for admission of next batch.

Desai, in CBI custody since last month, resigned from the post on Wednesday as per some media reports.

At Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad explained the salient features of the proposed ordinance to his ministerial colleagues.

(Based on media reports)