Bar on colour blind people from becoming doctors soon to be removed

Ban on colour blind people from becoming doctors is set to be removed in coming days, which will therefore put an end to the decades old bar which restricts them from taking up medicine as profession. A Supreme Court-appointed committee suggest the court that preventing people to become doctors if they have colour vision deficiency (CVD) is a ‘regressive’ approach and it should be done away with.

Supreme court has formed a committee in March this year which included experts from the fields of genetics, ophthalmology, psychiatry and medical education to review the regulation as well as analyse issues regarding CVD and the norms which are prevalent in the other countries.

MCI’s counsel Gaurav Sharma who filed the 35-page report of the committee said that CVD should not prevent from becoming a doctor as it does not impact significantly to person’s ability to practise medicine. As per the report there should be any restriction at any of the stages be it admission, completion of study and registration as a medical practitioner. If needed, they can put colour corrective contact lenses or spectacles.

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The report suggested, “There are many reasons why doctors with CVD may perform as well as those with normal colour vision. Firstly, the diagnostic and treatment process is not solely reliant on the ability to perceive colours. There are many other cues from history of illness and examination that might be utilised to compensate for handicaps resulting from CVD. Doctors with CVD can also overcome their difficulties by carrying out a more thorough diagnostic assessment and taking the help of other colleagues”

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According to report, India is perhaps the only country which bars people with CVD to become doctors and that they have been denied admission in the medical college. It is not considered a criteria for rejection in US, UK and other western countries.

(Source: Times of India)

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