The 12-hour nation-wide stir called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest a proposed legislation seeking to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body was called off on Tuesday after the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill was referred to a Parliamentary standing committee.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, who said the Bill had been referred to the Standing Committee in the Lok Sabha, requested the Chair to ask the panel to give its recommendation prior to the Budget session.
The IMA has described the Bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha last week by Union Health Minister JP Nadda, as “anti-people and anti-patient”. Acclaimed cardiac surgeon Devi Prasad Shetty hailed the proposed NMC bill, but said the provision of Ayurvedic doctors being allowed to prescribe Allopathic medicines needs clarification.
More than 2.9 lakh doctors had gone on a 12-hour nationwide strike (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) in protest against the Bill, which seeks to allow those practicing alternative and traditional medicine to practice allopathy after completing a “bridge course”.
The Bill proposes a Government-nominated chairman and members, who will be selected by a committee under the Cabinet Secretary. The medical fraternity led by the IMA is opposing the clause fearing the body would effectively be run by the government.
Earlier in the day, the issue of doctors’ strike was raised in both Houses of Parliament during Zero Hour.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had written to Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and the Union Health Minister demanding that the Bill be referred to a standing committee for examination.
Besides seeking to replace the MCI, the Bill also proposes allowing practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homoeopathy and ayurveda, practise allopathy after completing a “bridge course”.
“We called off our strike as the Bill has been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee which has members from diverse fields and there should now be a fruitful discussion. We are thankful to all the Lok Sabha members for supporting us,” IMA’s KK Aggarwal said.
“The NMC Bill in the present form is not acceptable,” newly-appointed IMA national president Dr Ravi Wankhedkar.
IMA has already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Health Minister urging them to redraft the Bill and rectify some of its provisions to protect the interest of medical practitioners.
The NMC Bill proposes replacing the Medical Council of India with a new body and “possibly” Section 15 of the IMC Act, which says that the basic qualification to practise modern medicine is MBBS, Dr Aggarwal, the former president of the IMA, said.