Doctors continued their protests against the NMC Bill in the city on Wednesday, demanding that the ‘draconian’ bill be withdrawn.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which proposes to repeal the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and replace the Medical Council of India (MCI), has met with strong opposition from the medical fraternity.
Protesting doctors described the bill as being favourable to corporate managements, stating that it would pave the way for widespread corruption.
“The Bill enables private medical colleges to raise UG/PG seats. Only up to 40% of seats in a private medical college can be regulated by the government. The management quota has been raised from 15 % to 60%. This would result in the cost of medical education becoming prohibitive, placing the lower socio-economic groups at a great disadvantage,” protesting medicos said.
Meanwhile, all medical and health establishments in Visakhapatnam have decided to observe a 24-hour bandh from 6 a.m. on Thursday in response to the nationwide bandh call given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), New Delhi, in protest against the NMC Bill.
IMA, Government Doctors Association, AP Junior Doctors Association and AP Private Hospital and Nursing Homes Association appealed to all hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, lab and diagnostic services to shut down their services from 6 a.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m. on Friday to exert pressure on the Centre to withdraw the NMC Bill.
The CPI-M district committee extended total support to the doctor’s strike.