Many health professionals and doctors have disagreed to and opposed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s move to ask the state health department to consider a proposal to start a three-year diploma course for medical practitioners.

According to a senior physician, the number of medical colleges has increased in the state during the regime of the present government in more than a decade. “Thousands of medical students are graduating every year, so there should not be a crisis of qualified doctors. I do not know what made the chief minister think like this. It is a risky proposition,” he said.

The CM, who is also the health minister, has asked the health department to look into the introduction of a three-year diploma course in medicine to mitigate the ‘shortfall’ of doctors. She has also directed officials to see whether the post of ‘semi-doctor’ can be introduced by promoting senior nurses with several years of experience.

Raising strong objections to the proposal, the physician said the proposal for a threeyear diploma course is not at all “scientific.”

“The National Medical Commission (NMC) regulates medical education and medical professionals across India. The diploma course will not be of much help as the medical students undergo a longer duration of practical and theoretical MBBS course. Learning and studies are life-long processes. The diploma may be helpful for health assistants, paramedical staff, but not for doctors,” said the physician, requesting anonymity.

Dr Jyoti Bikash Saha, who had served in both the posts as the principal and superintendent of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, said he could not support the proposal. Medical students need exposure in the diverse course. I cannot support the proposal,” said Dr Saha, who had been the head of the department of community medicine between 1996 and 2003.

According to him, doctors were responsible for the lives of the patients they treated. “They work to save the lives of the patients which is very serious unlike other professions,” Dr Saha added.

Multiple forums of the medical fraternity have opposed the proposal.

State secretary of the Medical Service Centre Dr Biplab Chandra said, “The move lacks a scientific approach. After a prolonged scientific review, the recommendations of the Bhore committee for a five and half year MBBS course had been implemented in the country. In this context, the proposal of the chief minister is unscientific and motivated. It may be recalled that the erstwhile Left Front government had mooted similar proposals like the so-called ‘barefoot doctors’ in 1980s, as a diploma in community medical service, the UPA government at Centre had also planned a three-and-a-half-year course leading to a diploma in Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery. But after strong opposition from medical students, doctors and the people, they withdrew such unscientific steps. We are demanding that the state government drop the proposal,” Dr Chandra said.