TW Newsdesk, Jan 25: The Supreme Court has reportedly banned diploma holders in Assam from treating patients suffering from common diseases, perform minor procedures and prescribe certain drugs. Notably, the Supreme Court, struck down the Assam Rural Health Regulatory Authority Act 2004 banning diploma holders in medicine and rural health care from treating people.

The three-year diploma course was introduced by the Assam government almost two decades ago, to strengthen the rural healthcare infrastructure by producing a cadre of diploma doctors.