IMA strike to hit healthcare services today

Healthcare services at many private hospitals in the city are likely to be hit today the Indian Medical Association has called for suspending routine services for 12 hours to protest a National Medical Commission Bill seeking to replace the Medical Council of India with a new body.

The IMA has 2.77 lakh members, which includes Corporate Hospitals, Polyclinics and Nursing homes. “Services at outpatient departments (OPDs) of many private hospitals may be hit by the protest, but emergency and critical services will remain open,” said IMA member.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which was tabled in Parliament on Friday, seeks to replace the MCI and also proposes allowing practitioners of alternative medicines, such as homoeopathy and Ayurveda, practise allopathy after completing a “bridge course.”

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has been strongly opposing the NMC bill saying it will “cripple” the functioning of medical professionals by making them completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non-medical administrators, will observe Tuesday as a “Black Day.”

“The IMA headquarters hereby declares closure of all routine services for 12 hours from 6 AM to 6 PM on Tuesday across the country,” said Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, IMA national president.

Dr Wankhede further added the NMC Bill in the present form is not acceptable. “This Bill is anti-poor, antipeople, non-representative, undemocratic and anti-federal in character,” he said.