NMC Bill: Medical services hit by doctors' stir

ALLAHABAD: The day-long strike observed by doctors, following a nationwide call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, took a toll on medical services in the city on Saturday.

The IMA had called for a nationwide strike and suspension of non-emergency services as a mark of protest against the Bill which seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.

Members of Allahabad Medical Association (AMA) met a on Friday to raise their voices against the proposal of the central government to form a new body to replace MCI.

National vice-president of AMA, Dr Ashok Agarwal, said, "The proposal is not acceptable to us doctors because this would spoil the equal representation of doctors from all corners of the country in the present body."

"The new body would have 25 members of which only five would be from 29 states of the country, which is not at all acceptable to us", said Dr Agarwal.

Opposing the proposal, many clinics in Allahabad remiained shut and did not offer OPD services but they did tend to emergency cases.