SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 15: Health Minister Banna Gupta on Wednesday announced that the Medical Protection Act (MPA) will be passed in the ensuing assembly session.
The health minister after inaugurating the building of Jharkhand State Medical Council in Ranchi today said that if all go as per schedule then the proposed bill of the MPA will be put up in the current assembly session and get cleared in the interest of doctors as well as health services.
“Though the assembly session is short and will run only for six days, the health department has completed all the formalities to pass it,” said Banna Gupta.
He further said that as per the demand of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for a change in the Clinical Establishment Act is concerned, the state government also agrees with it (IMA) and will make amendments to change its shape.
“The health department is committed to making changes in it as per the demand of IMA. A committee has been set up in this regard. After consultation with IMA office bearers, it will make changes,” said Gupta.
Notably, the IMA had been agitating for change in the Clinical Establishment Act of the state for a long time.
Banna Gupta on the occasion also announced to provide time-bound promotion and Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) to medical officers (government doctors) on the same pattern that is followed in Bihar.
At present, doctors in Jharkhand join as medical officers and retire on the same post without any promotion. Civil surgeons and other officers of the health department are discharging responsibility as acting in-charge in lack of promotion policy in the state government jobs.
Banna Gupta also informed that the National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed Palamu and Hazaribagh Medical College Hospital of the state to take admission in 2021-22 session. The NMC had earlier given permission to Dumka Medical College Hospital on October 1 but held up recognition of Palamu and Hazaribagh.
In 2020, the NMC had stopped admission in all the three new medical colleges of Jharkhand due to deficiencies of faculty members and infrastructure as per guidelines.
IMA state secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh has hailed this announcement of the health minister.
“ I congratulate all the presidents and secretaries of the district chapter and members of IMA as their solidarity helped in getting long-pending demands implemented,” said Dr Pradeep Kumar and president Dr AK Singh.
