OPDs in government hospitals across the country will be shuton Wednesday as part of protests against the National Medical Commission (NMC)Bill which doctors say will encourage quacks.
As a mark of protest against the Bill which was passed inthe Lok Sabha on Monday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for anationwide 24-hour withdrawal of non-essential services.
Demonstrations and hunger strikes will be held in allstates. The IMA has asked medical students to boycott classes in solidarity.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) andthe Resident Doctors Association (RDA), AIIMS, have asked members to wear blackbadges.
“The Bill if not amended will only lead to adeterioration in the standards in medical education but will also lead todegradation of healthcare services,” an RDA statement said.
The non-essential services including OPDs will be shut from6 a.m. on Wednesday till 6 a.m. on Thursday. Emergency, casualty, ICU andrelated services will function normally.
“Section 32 of the NMC Bill provides for licensing of3.5 lakh unqualified non-medical persons to practise modern medicine. The termCommunity Health Provider has been vaguely defined to allow anyone connectedwith modern medicine to get registered in NMC and be licensed to practisemodern medicine,” said R.V. Asokan, Secretary General, IMA.
“This would mean that all paramedics includingpharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, optometrists and others are becomingeligible to practise modern medicine and prescribe independently. This lawlegalizes quackery,” said Asokan.