Doctors’ protest may hit OPD services today

Outpatient departments (OPD) in certain hospitals and nursing homes in the state are likely to be affected on Saturday as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for observing “Dhikkar Diwas” to protest against the proposed National Medical Commission Bill, 2017.

The bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Saturday.

During the protests, doctors may abstain from work in OPDs and defer elective surgeries.

Dr H N Ravindra, president, Karnataka IMA said government hospitals will function as usual. He said the protest is by doctors and not the hospitals.

“We had opposed the Bill, which has certain draconian anti-poor and pro-rich clauses, previously too. The Centre wants to dissolve the Medical Council of India (MCI), which has 125 members, with representatives from each state and reduce it to only nine members in the proposed NMC Bill,” he said.

“There are 27,000 IMA members in the state and anybody is free to participate in the protest. A few doctors may abstain from work from 6 am to 6 pm,” he added.

In the memorandum, IMA, Karnataka chapter said, “The concept of centrally administered final MBBS exam will be highly detrimental to students from rural and tribal areas.

“These exams have an in-built urban and rich bias in them thus depriving the students of downtrodden and backward communities of opportunities.”

The memorandum will be submitted to the deputy commissioner, Bengaluru Urban to be sent to the Prime Minister on Saturday.

Dr Ravindra S Wankhedkar, national president, IMA in his statement said, “In spite of the deep resentment and opposition of the medical profession of the country, Government of India is going ahead with the enactment of the National Medical Commission Bill-2017.”

“We are left with no choice but to resist the move with determination and resolve,” he added.