A lot of confusion over experiments with drugs and administrative decision-making has once again brought to the fore the importance of bringing the Indian Medical Services (IMS) under the purview of the UPSC stream of studies. Health experts are of the opinion that if IAS officers, who do not have medical qualifications, continue to take decisions related to health management and services, sooner or later the healthcare system would collapse.

Dr Subhash Hira, professor of Global Health, University of Washington, USA, and former technical advisor of Ministry of Health, New Delhi, said, "The Indian Health Systems (IHS) have been fragmented since 1947. Before that it was organised as Indian Medical Services (IMS) that existed even during the first and second World Wars. The IMS cadre was dismantled soon after Independence. Hence, the IHS was under the purview of the general IAS administration, both at the national and state levels. Consequently, IHS went through intense experimentation, including the bifurcation of preventive, curative and promotive health. The IAS babus treated the IHS medical professionals distantly to the extent that up to 1983, no MBBS doctor was even eligible to sit for the UPSC examination. Such discrimination led to complete neglect of the healthcare sector till the end of the 20th century."