Doctors affiliated to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) staged a demonstration here on Wednesday as part of nationwide protest.
They were opposing the Centre’s proposal to dissolve the Medical Council of India and replace it with National Medical Commission (NMC).
The IMA termed the move undemocratic. It will cripple the functioning of the medical profession by making it completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non medical administrators. The government must instead consider introducing amendments to the MCI Act to make it transparent, accountable and self-sufficient.
The IMA expressed concern over rise in incidents of violence against doctors and medical establishments. It demanded the Central Act to protect doctors and their establishments against violence. It demanded that clinics of individual doctors be taken out of the purview of the Clinical Establishment Act. It was also against penal action against doctors for clerical errors. Instead graded action could be taken against erring doctors and establishments.
It demanded that medical profession be taken out of the purview of the Consumer Protection Act and till such time the compensation should not be decided on the income of the patient. Doctors do not charge as per the income of the patient and the present method of fixing compensation was unjust. Awarding compensation running to crores of rupees was unacceptable and creates unnecessary fear in the minds of doctors.
Non-MBBS and non-BDS doctors cannot prescribe Scheduled H, H1 and X drugs and this should be enacted as law and followed by State government, the IMA said.
The protest in the city was led by K.S.Devanathan, immediate past president, IMA, Tiruchi. M.S.Ashraf, past national vice president, IMA, R.Gunasekaran, past state president, IMA, Tamil Nadu, N.Balasubramanian, Vice President, IMA, Tiruchi, W.Justine, Secretary, IMA, Tiruchi, and other members participated.
