The State government has prepared a detailed explainer on its anti-NEET Bill, which would be forwarded to the Governor’s Office in a couple of days, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian has said.
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On the sidelines of an event marking the National Plastic Surgery Day at Stanley Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, the Minister said senior counsels had prepared the responses to the questions raised by the Union government, and they would be forwarded by the State government to the Governor for his assent in a couple of days.
According to him, the queries regarding the Bill was received from the Governor’s Office only on July 5.
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The Union government had sought to know the State legislature’s rights in passing the Bill; whether it affects the country’s sovereignty and unity; whether it is against the rights under Article 14; whether it goes against the rights envisioned in the Constitution; and whether the Bill is in line with the National Education Policy.
The Union government had stated that the aim of NEET was to introduce quality education, transparency and eligibility through an entrance test. Further, it wanted to know if the Bill fell within the ambit of the Indian Medical Council Act, the National Medical Commission, and the Councils of Indian Medical Systems and Homoeopathy, the Minister said.
To a question on the status of student-returnees from Ukraine, he said the State government was in touch with the Union government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that they completed their medical education.
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Mr. Subramanian felicitated the hospital’s doctors for completing angiograms on 10,000 patients at a cost of ₹10 crore under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme in the past two years. He also commissioned a ₹5 lakh-worth skill lab for medical students, and a food court.
He distributed artificial limbs to six persons.
Forced oocyte donation
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On Thursday, the Health Department, led by Mr. Subramanian and Health Secretary P. Senthilkumar, will hold a meeting with the Joint Directors of Health from 38 districts. A training session will be held on oocyte donation to enable health officials to determine if a woman is being forced to donate her oocytes.
Mega vaccination camp
For the next 75 days, on every alternate week, a mega vaccination camp for COVID-19 will be held in 50,000 places across the State, Mr. Subramanian said. The first mega camp in this series will be held on July 24. Those eligible for the precautionary dose will receive an SMS that they could get themselves vaccinated, the Minister said.