IMA calls for 12-hour shutdown of hospitals

new delhi — The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday called for a 12-hour shutdown of all private hospitals in the country on Tuesday to protest the “anti-people and antipatient” National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017, that seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The IMA has 277,000 members, which includes Corporate Hospitals, Poly clinics and Nursing homes, across the country.

The demand comes after a delegation of the IMA led by President K.K. Aggarwal and its national president Ravi Wankhede met Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P Nadda, seeking strict amendments in the Bill that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

“IMA strongly opposes this Bill and has no option but to take the issues to our patients and the people. We have called for 12hour shutdown of our member hospitals and health institutions tomorrow (January 2) during which the routine medical services like OPD and elective surgeries across the country will be withdrawn between 6 a.m.-6 p.m.,” Wankhede said.

Asked about the response from the member hospitals on the call for shutdown, Wankhede said: “We have received tremendous response and all of the IMA member hospitals will follow our call.” IMA, which is not a statutory body, has been opposing the Bill to set up the NMC ever since it received the union cabinet clearance earlier last month, and has demanded amendments in it.

Terming the Bill as “anti-people and anti-patient”, the association in a statement has stated that the Bill purported to eradicate corruption is “designed to open the floodgates of corruption”. The bill also has provisions for granting permission to the doctors under Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, to be allowed to practice allopathy after clearing a bridge course. —