Pvt docs to protest against three bills today

Nagpur: Private doctors at national and local level will be observing a protest day against the government on Friday against the three ‘bills’ which they feel have a significant threat to the medical profession. These bills are the Consumer Protection Bill 2018, National Medical Commission Bill 2017 and the Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018. They will wear black ribbons during work on Friday.
Consumer Protection Act 1986 is being repealed and replaced by the Consumer Protection Bill 2018. The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on December 20, 2018. The move to increase the compensation to a patient has been increased from Rs10 lakh to Rs1 crore at district level and that of the state from Rs1 Crore to Rs10 Crore and that of the national level from 10 Crores upwards. It is targeted directly at the medical profession, says Indian Medical Association (IMA) local President Dr Ashish Disawal.

This Bill has been brought about while the government of India is still engaged in dialogue with IMA and has in principle agreed to cap the compensation as in drug trials. This has shaken the confidence of the fraternity in the dialogue with the Government. As a result of this drastic upward revision, litigations will increase and many small and medium hospitals will become unviable. Doctors are being harassed and are stressed out as such even under the existing Act. Defensive practice has affected patient care and safety.