Service delivery in both public and private sector hospitals are likely to be affected on Wednesday as the medical fraternity, in response to a call by the Indian Medical Association, is taking part in a nationwide strike to protest against the contentious National Medical Commission Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.
No essential services will be disrupted as casualty services, ICUs, labour rooms, and emergency surgeries will function as usual.
As the IMA has asked all its members to join the 24-hour strike and stay away from hospitals, outpatient clinics in both private and public sector hospitals could be under-staffed on Wednesday.
Many doctors are planning to avail themselves of the holiday declared in the State on account of Karkidaka Vavu also.
The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association said while it did not call for a boycott or shutdown of services, it had asked all members to cooperate with the strike to express solidarity with the IMA.
IMA charge
The IMA has been spearheading an agitation against the NMC Bill, which, it says, is an open validation of quackery by the Centre and will downgrade the quality of medical education.
The Centre had dropped an earlier proposal in the NMC Bill to introduce a ‘bridge course’ to allow those from allied medical branches to practise modern medicine following widespread opposition by the medical fraternity.
However, the said clause has now been quietly replaced by Section 32 of the NMC Bill, which gives ‘limited licence to practise modern medicine at mid-level’ to ‘persons connected with modern scientific medical profession’ if they fulfil certain criteria.
The IMA points out that the said clause will allow at least 3.5 lakh people ‘connected with medicine’ to legitimately practise as doctors, which is nothing but a validation of quackery in medical profession.
Call to drop proposal
They said that Section 32, introduced under the guise of making up for the shortage of doctors, makes a mockery of the medical education in the country and puts the lives of people at peril.
The IMA demanded that society recognise the implications and respond to this dangerous move by the Centre and demanded that the latter withdraw this proposal.
