The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has strongly opposed the Union government’s move to scrap the Medical Council of India (MCI) to bring in the proposed National Medical Commission.
The members of IMA, Belagavi branch, came out of their clinics and hospitals without affecting emergency services, and took out a procession and staged a protest against the move. The protest was led by IMA Belagavi branch president Rajesh Latkar and Secretary Anil Patil. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in support of their demands.
Mr.Anil said the IMA opposed replacement of MCI by NMC but did not oppose suitable amendment to the MCI Act without compromising on the autonomy of the profession. The other demands include capping of compensation under the Consumer Protection Act; amendments to abolish license raj; exemption to single doctor clinics in Clinical Establishment Act; punishments only for sex selective abortion and not for clerical errors under the PCPNDT Act; prevention of unscientific mixing of modern medicine and indigenous systems; and a rule that the scheduled drugs should be prescribed only by modern medicine graduates.
The IMA demanded that the Centre bring in a Central Act to protect doctors and private hospitals from violence. The private healthcare sector catered to 85% of the population. Yet it was being systematically crushed by bringing unjust regulations favouring the super-rich corporate sector, the IMA members said.
