State IMA to join nationwide strike tomorrow

Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will join the nationwide strike on June 25 to protest the move of the Union Government to dissolve the Medical Council of India and institute a National Council for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) along with enactment of several other “draconian laws”.

More than 3,600 doctors, under the IMA Odisha State Branch, would join the stir that is likely to affect health services, particularly in the private hospitals, dispensaries and clinics. Emergency services and units would, though, be exempted, the Association promised. The apex body of doctors has stood up against the introduction of the NCHRH Bill 2011 in Parliament that proposes constitution of a super-arching body on all the councils of medical profession like the MCI, Dental Council, Nursing Council and so on.

While usurping the autonomy of the bodies, the Commission will regulate the medical education and healthcare delivery in the country through nominated members of the Central Government, most of whom would be bureaucrats from the non-medical background. Further, that the powers of appointment and removal of the members of the Commission is vested with the Centre, the body will dance to the tunes of the Centre, IMA State president Dr Bijay Mishra said.

The Bill also proposes a dual registration system wherein a doctor registered with the State Council can practice only in the said state and has to register again with the National Council for doing so elsewhere in the country. This is against the fundamental rights of the people, Dr Mishra stated.

The Association has also voiced strong opposition to  the Clinical Establishments Act, which it termed draconian and accused the Centre of stealthily passing the legislation in Parliament.

The Act prescribes stringent conditions on operation of clinics and hospitals, from infrastructure, space, manpower to equipment. This may be applicable to bigger establishments but including single doctor clinics, which are out patient facilities only, will strangulate a major chunk of the physician community, former national IMA president Dr M Abbas said. The doctors have also come down strongly on the Centre’s decision to introduce a short-term course on Bachelor of Rural Health and Care (BRHC) to train rural youths in basic modern medicine to serve in the remote and backward pockets.

This is not only akin to churning out licensed quacks, who do not possess comprehensive medical knowledge but also treating the rural populace as second class citizens, the Association members stated.

The IMA would stage demos at its district branches along with the State Headquarters here and submit memoranda to the Chief Minister, Governor and Health Minister seeking a freeze on the CEA, 2011, and withdrawal of the other Bills.