The medical fraternity, led by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), will intensify its agitation against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill across the nation.
As a first step, medical students in the capital began an indefinite hunger strike in front of Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening. All professional associations of doctors, including the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association, and Postgraduates’ Association, will also take part in the sit-in to declare their solidarity with the students’ protest.
The IMA is intensifying the strike as the NMC Bill is slated to be presented before the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The contentious Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, following which the medical fraternity was organising a nationwide agitation. At a press conference here on Wednesday, IMA State secretary N. Sulphi appealed to the public to realise the dangers of the NMC Bill, which, he said, would give legitimacy to over 3.5 lakh persons who practise modern medicine without proper qualifications.
IMA national action council chairman A. Marthanda Pillai said the Centre had not accepted any of the suggestions put forth by the IMA and other professional organisations since 2014. The provisions in the current NMC Bill would destroy the quality of medical education in the country and destroy public health, he said.
On Wednesday, following a call by the IMA, doctors had gone on a nationwide 24-hours strike, allowing only emergency and essential services in hospitals in both private and public sector.
State not hit
However, in Kerala, even though the number of doctors in attendance was less, patients were not put to difficulty anywhere.
Wednesday being a holiday on account of Karkidaka Vavu, the number of people who reached hospitals on Wednesday seeking treatment was also less and hence no crowding was witnessed in hospitals anywhere. Services in emergency wing, ICUs, labour rooms were not disrupted. House surgeons and other senior medicos were deployed in adequate number to take care of persons coming to hospitals.
