More than 1,200 private clinics in Uttarakhand would remain closed on Tuesday in protest against the Union Government’s alleged anti-medical practitioner policy. However the emergency services in these clinics would remain unaffected by the strike call given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The IMA is up in arms against the proposed criminal prosecution for cases of medical negligence and clerical errors and constitution of National Medical Council (NMC) in place of Medical Council of India (MCI).
Informing about the strike plan and agitation, the State Secretary of the IMA Uttarakhand, Dr DD Choudhury told The Pioneer that all the 30 State branches and 1,765 local branches of IMA would participate in the agitation.
Dr Chaudhury said that the Government would have total control over the proposed NMC which is detrimental for medical education and medical profession. The IMA is also perturbed by the fact that the NMC has provision under Schedule IV under which the practitioners of Ayurveda, Homeopathy and other system of medicines will get registration in modern medicines after which they will be able to prescribe modern medicines to the patients.
The other demands of the IMA are capping of compensation under consumer protection act, amendments to abolish license Raj and exemption of single doctor clinics in the Clinical Establishment Act. The association also wants an amendment in the Indian Medical Council Act and punitive punishments only for sex selective abortion and not for clerical errors under the PC-PNDT act.
Chaudhury said that the Government should have stringent central act against violence and empower MBBS graduates. The IMA also wants implementation of one drug - one company - one price policy and single window accountability. The association is also opposed to the proposed National Exit Examination (NEXT) and wants a uniform final MBBS examination. It wants that the government should have a health budget which is 5 percent of GDP.
The IMA secretary said that more than 150 doctors from the state would attend the mass protest at Indira Gandhi International Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.