Indian Medical Association and Delhi Medical Association will stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar here on Monday to protest against implementation of the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, and introduction of the National Council for Human Resources in Health Bill, 2011.
In a statement issued over the weekend, IMA secretary general D. R. Rai demanded necessary amendments to the Bills before they are introduced and adopted.
DMA president Harish Gupta called the CEA Draconian and said it was unwarranted in its present form.
He also cited that medical professionals were already governed by a number of regulating Acts and bodies, and the CEA could lead to increase in medical costs, closure of small medical clinics, harsh penalties and unemployment for doctors.
Authority questioned
DMA secretary Vijay Kohli said the National Commission for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) formed through the NCHRH Bill, would be a super arching body on other medical and paramedical councils.
“The powers of Medical Council of India, Dental Council, Pharmacist Council and Nursing Council will be lost and all these will be governed by the proposed Commission which will be managed by nominees of the Government and not by elected persons of the medical profession,” he said.
Heart Care Foundation of India president K. K. Aggarwal also questioned the Centre's authority over a State subject like health saying that it damaged India's federal structure, while DMA senior vice-president A. K. Israni pointed out the NCHRH Bill would adversely affect more than one lakh private and government sector doctors and 20 lakh healthcare personnel in the Capital.
The IMA and DMA will also submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Union Health Minister, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor, Delhi Chief Minister and Delhi Health Minister after the dharna.
