The Indian Medical Association has called off its pan Indian doctors' strike after the Medical Commission Bill was decided to be sent to a standing committee.
The Indian Medical Association had called for suspending routine services today to protest against a bill that seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.
Ananth Kumar, Union Minister in Lok Sabha said the bill will be sent to a standing committee.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill was tabled in Parliament on Friday. It also proposes to allow practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homoeopathy and ayurveda, practice allopathy after completing a "bridge course".
The IMA has strongly opposed the NMC bill, saying it will "cripple" the functioning of medical professionals by making them completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non-medical administrators. It has declared January 2 as "black day".
"The NMC bill in the present form is not acceptable. This bill is anti-poor, anti-people, non-representative, undemocratic and anti-federal in character," newly-appointed IMA national president Dr Ravi Wankhedkar said.
The Delhi Medical Association is supporting the IMA's protest and has called on private and corporate hospitals in the national capital to keep their OPD services closed.
IMA members also held a meeting with the Union Health Minister J P Nadda and conveyed their concerns over the bill.
Dr K K Aggarwal, former president of the IMA, said they have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the health minister, urging them to redraft the bill and modify some provisions to protect the interest of medical practitioners.
Healthcare services at many private hospitals in the country were hit due to the shutdown.
The IMA has 2.77 lakh doctors as its members.
(Inputs from PTI)