New Delhi, Jan 2: Outpatient services in private hospitals will remain suspended on Tuesday as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called a 12-hour strike to protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017, which will enable the government to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI). The IMA called the move anti-people. Meanwhile, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the bill will be sent to Parliament’s Select Committee.
Ahead of the strike, health ministry issued advisory to medical institutions to ensure that all steps were taken to provide emergency services to the masses.
Emergency services at government hospitals were not affected. However, the doctors were wearing black bands as a mark of protest. A doctor said that they didn’t want the patient to suffer; hence, they were seeing patients.
The 2.77 lakh-strong Indian Medical Association is protesting the bill saying that it is anti-poor and anti-people. It further said that the bill would make the system vulnerable to corruption. The IMA wants amendments in the bill, which will be tabled in Lok Sabha on Parliament.
“The IMA strongly opposes this Bill and has no option but to take the issues to our patients and the people. To register our protest, routine medical services like OPD and elective surgeries across the country have been withdrawn between 6 am and 6 pm at our member hospitals and health institutions,” national president Ravi Wankhede had told news agency IANS.
After the new bill, private colleges will no longer need permission to increase number of seats in undergraduate and postgraduate seats as they would be able do that on their own. IMA demands that ground rules be laid down for setting up a medical college and regular checks should be done to ensure proper running of medical colleges.
The bill also allows private colleges to decide fee for 60 per cent of the seats; it is 15 per cent currently.