The nationwide protest of the doctors associated with Indian Medical Association (IMA) and their "Dilli Chalo" movement on Tuesday has left the patients in the lurch. While the doctors were protesting against the atrocities being faced by the medical practitioners the patents who flocked to the state-run hospitals returned disappointed with the doctors skipping duties to participate in the stir.
The doctors from Haridwar district who have not gone to Delhi staged protest outside a local clinic on Tuesday and presented to the additional district magistrate a memorandum that contains their charter of demands.
The local branch president of IMA, Dr Dinesh Singh said, “We have mentioned in the memorandum that criminal prosecution for medical negligence and clerical errors is not acceptable to us. Besides, IMC Act must be suitably amended to ensure that we have professional autonomy to treat the patients and prescribe accordingly. This aside, we demand formulation of a stringent Central act against violence meted out to the doctors by the relatives of the patients.”
The organisation’s secretary Himanshu Tyagi said that they were agitating while demanding amendments in PC PNDT, Central CEA and West Bengal CEA Acts. “The protest is meant to pile on the Centre pressure to intervene and sort out the major problems we have been facing for long. However, the main issue that has begot our stir is the scrapping of the Medical Council of India and its replacement with National Medical Commission,” he said.
Dr Anjul Srimali, one of the agitating doctors, said that they would not brook the government mixing unscientific medical systems like Homeopathy and Ayurveda with Allopathic system.
Among other issues the agitation is highlighting include demands for one drug - one company - one price policy, single window accountability, single window registration of doctors and medical establishments, uniform final MBBS exam instead of 'NEXT' , uniform service conditions for doctors and faculty, same work - same pay - pay parity, fair conduction of NEET exam, IMA member in every government health committee, central anti-quackery law and reimbursement of emergency services for private sector.