The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Punjab, has strongly opposed the state government’s proposal to map and train unregistered medical practitioners (URMPs) to provide basic medical care. The association has argued that short-term training cannot replace the formal medical education, clinical exposure and professional accountability required to practise modern medicine.
Punjab Government Plans to Map and Train URMPs
The IMA’s objection follows the Punjab government’s proposal to bring informal clinics operating across the state into a regulated healthcare framework. District health authorities have been directed to collect detailed profiles of URMPs, including their educational qualifications, clinical experience and operational history, as part of the proposed state-run training programme.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh has said that regulation is the primary objective of the exercise and that the practitioners would be trained according to their qualifications.
However, the IMA-Punjab has raised serious concerns about the plan. In a letter to the health minister, the association stated that a short-term training programme cannot substitute for years of medical education, clinical exposure and professional accountability.
“The proposal to map and train URMPs could compromise patient safety and medical ethics,” said Dr RS Sethi, president, IMA-Punjab.
IMA Warns of Risks From Inadequate Training
The association has warned that inadequately trained practitioners may fail to identify serious symptoms, delay referrals or provide treatment beyond their competence. According to the IMA, such errors could lead to complications and potentially irreversible harm to patients.
The doctors’ body stressed that healthcare involves much more than acquiring basic clinical skills through a short-duration programme. It said diagnosis, clinical judgment, interpretation of investigations, recognition of complications, emergency management, rational prescribing and timely referral require years of structured medical education and supervised clinical training.
The IMA acknowledged that the government’s objective of improving healthcare access in rural and underserved areas was legitimate. However, it maintained that administrative or financial considerations should not come at the expense of patient safety.
Association Calls for Strengthening Rural Healthcare System
Rather than establishing a separate category of minimally trained practitioners, the IMA has urged the Punjab government to strengthen the existing rural healthcare system.
Its recommendations include increasing the availability of qualified MBBS doctors in rural areas, providing incentives to doctors serving in difficult locations, filling vacant posts and upgrading primary and community health centres.
The association has also called for strengthening emergency referral mechanisms, improving ambulance availability, expanding diagnostic facilities and enhancing access to specialist-referral services.
“The answer to a shortage of doctors should be more doctors, better distribution of doctors and better healthcare infrastructure—not a lower standard of medical qualification,” Dr Sethi said.
IMA Seeks Review of Proposal
The IMA has urged the health minister to reconsider the proposal and ensure that individuals who do not possess the legally recognised qualification and registration required to practise modern medicine are not permitted to independently diagnose, prescribe or treat patients solely on the basis of short-term training.
The association maintained that any approach to improving healthcare access should preserve established standards of medical qualification, patient safety and professional accountability.
Important Highlights
- IMA Punjab has opposed the proposed mapping and training of unregistered medical practitioners.
- The Punjab government plans to collect details of URMPs, including qualifications and clinical experience.
- IMA has warned that short-term training cannot substitute for formal medical education and supervised clinical exposure.
- The association has raised concerns about delayed referrals, incorrect treatment and patient safety.
- IMA has recommended increasing qualified MBBS doctors and strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure.
- The association has urged the government not to permit independent modern medical practice without legally recognised qualifications and registration.