Private hospitals in DK, Udupi remain shut as docs go on strike against NMC Bill

Mangaluru, Jan 2: All the private doctors in twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are observing a 12-hour strike along with nearly 3 lakh doctors across the country on Tuesday in response to a call given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to register their protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.

According to doctors, who are observing the day as a ‘black day’, the Bill promotes ''crosspathy'' (allowing those who have studied alternate medicine to practice allopathy), eases procedures for private medical colleges and will be dominated by the government.  The Bill, tabled in the Lok Sabha, is anti-people and anti-patient, says Roy Abraham Kallivayalil, secretary general of the World Psychiatric Association.

Most outpatient departments in private hospitals in both districts were remained shut. All the routine services in private hospitals barring emergencies, were suspended from 6am to 6pm.

IMA coastal divisional coordinator Dr Annayya Kulal said that only emergencies and critical cases are being attended to.  He said the NMC bill in the present form is not acceptable. "This bill is anti-poor, anti-people, non-representative, undemocratic and anti-federal in character. IMA Medical Student's Network has already declared a strike. We have Medical Council of India comprising modern medicine experts set up through MCI Act 1956 and it has been governing modern medicine including registration of eligible graduates, giving recognition to new colleges based on adequate facilities, deciding the curriculum and issues of ethics. All of a sudden, the central government has tabled the draconian NMC bill in the Parliament. IMA at the national, state and local levels has decided to protest against the bill, which seeks to abolish MCI," Kulal said quoting IMA state president J A Jayalal.

He said that the bill allows Ayush doctors to get registered under the modern medicine and license to practice modern medicine. "It brings non-medical people like advocates, chartered accountants and social activists into the highest body of medical governance. It restricts the voting right of all the doctors in India in electing their own representative body. We oppose the bill totally and demand that the MCI be revived in its current form," he added.