For some time now, there has been a demand for an Indian Medical Service (IMS) similar to other all-India services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS).
Successive governments have looked at this issue, but there has not been much progress on this front.
Most recently, in 2017, the Government of India sought views from the State governments on creating an Indian Medical Service. Challenges driven by the COVID-19 pandemic has reinvigorated the request from the medical fraternity for the Indian Medical Service.
Why do we need a separate service?
The Constitution of India confers the responsibility of the health of its citizen to the States, while population control and interstate infectious and contagious disease control is the joint responsibility of both the Centre and the State. However, due to fiscal and institutional capacity issues at the State level, the Centre has been taking a lead in the design of…
