A proud moment for IMA: Dr Ketan Desai takes over the reins of World
Medical Association
Dr
K K Aggarwal and Dr Ved Prakash Mishra
Taipei Taiwan: Indeed a historical moment of which every Indian would feel proud
was when Dr Ketan Desai took over the reins of World Medical Association as its
President at 10 am on Friday 21stOctober 2016 at Hotel Grand Hyatt
to a thundering applause by the world
professional
fraternity.
It
was a diligent recognition which came way of an illustrious leader who always
with passion rendered himself to the cause of medical profession and medical
education alike.
His
initiatives on several counts got converted into policy frame and have catered
to the public interest in a very substantial manner.
Be
it National entrance examination test, doctor pharma relationship, enforceable
punishment on those who were committing frauds and misrepresentations and
rationalizing minimum standards requirements facilitating development of
medical schools in the country, he was the torch bearer and the front runner as
well.
It
was under his initiative that the Government run medical schools in the country
were granted a onetime increase in post graduate seats without any onsite
verification exclusively based on furnishing of information by increasing the
permissible ratio of registered students against a professor post graduate teacher
to 1:2. This in one stroke resulted in an increase of well over 2500 post
graduate seats in the Government colleges in the country which were and are
open and available for meritorious students within their affordable reach.
His
stint as President MCI for two terms is known for his steering roles in shaping
the face, facet and future of medical education in the country. It was his
initiative to put into place competency based post graduate curriculum and also
structure out National faculty development program for the full time teaching
faculty in medical schools.
It
was under his guidance that the National faculty development program resulted
in training and orienting full time medical teachers in medical colleges across
the country numbering now to well over 30,000 which makes the MCI as the only
regulator of medical education to have taken the onus of such a program on its
shoulders in an exemplary and emulative manner.
The
efforts initiated by him in the Year 2009 to bring transparency in the process
of medical admissions ensuring that merit alone turns out to be the sole
criteria for admission to the medical courses in the country that the NEET was
conceived and structured which ultimately saw the light of the day as an
operational reality in the academic year 2016-17 setting to rest all the
speculations that came to be raised on the very issue from time to time.
His
ascendancy to the highest office of presidency of World Medical Education is
neither an accident nor a conjuncture. IMA is an integral part of WMA and is
recognized as a valuable member and a partner because of the significant role
it has played on wide and varied issues pertaining to medical professionals
within and outside the country.
The
inputs furnished by IMA on the various issues at the WMA forum have not only
been well appreciated but also have resulted in shaping its global perceptive
on vital issues pertaining to the medical education, health care delivery
systems and practicing of the profession judiciously and ethically.
In
his speech Dr Desai rightly evoked the core issue of professional autonomy
which in countries like Turkey, UK and India is under threat of subjugation and
marginalization as well. This in his opinion was inconsistent with the well set
out democratic norms which mandate participative decision making in an
accountable manner. Such attempts for whatever reasons and from which ever
quarter need to be dealt by an iron hand.
His
observations on this count evoked huge cheers from the professional fraternity
around the globe present at the installation ceremony.
He
equally emphasized the need of making the world terror free. He observed that
be it bruised Brussels, traumatized Paris, school children bombarded in
Pakistan or deeply injured Uri all are slur in the name of humanity. Terrorism
neither has a color, religion, caste or a creed. It is only terrorism alone.
There is nothing like good or bad terrorism. In reality it dehumanizes mankind
and traumatizes humanity. It has to be abandoned at all costs in the interest
of bringing peace and tranquility to this planet in order to make it worthy of
living for all times to come.
He
strongly brought to fore the ill tendency of resorting to kickbacks for various
reasons by the health professionals which on every count is unbecoming on their
part. Profession has to be practiced within the tenets of ethicality, morality
and judiciousness its sanctity is paramount and needs to be upheld at all costs
and independent of consequence.
In
the same breath he also emphasized that there is an urgent necessity to protect
the health professional from unprovoked assaults and hurts on any and every
count. They need to be accorded required protection and desired
insulation.
He
categorically stated that those professional who trespass ethical conduct and
take recourse to the sex determination resulting in female feticide should be
dealt by the penalty of permeant removal of their names from the medical
register and delisting them from practicing the profession for life.
It
is such deterrent measures alone which in his opinion could set the otherwise
disturbed house in order.
Bringing
to fore the importance of Yoga he recorded his appreciation gratitude to Sh
Narendra Modi the Honorable Prime Minister of India for bringing Yoga, a
parasympathetic lifestyle, on the global platform as a result of which 21st June
has been declared as the World Yoga day by united national organization.
It
is only Yogic approach which could be the most cost effective modality for
putting into place the preventive and promotive aspects of global health in an
affordable and handy manner.
His
suggestion to the global partners under the umbrella of WMA to the effect
that time has come where by a serious thought is necessary to structure out a
world health keeping force on the lines on which world peace keeping force came
to be created.
National
Medical Associations across the world that have substantial and huge
professional memberships can substantially contribute towards actualization of
these perceived realistic needs. This suggestion was very well received by all
present there.
