National Medical Commission Bill, a threat to public health: Doctors

Several doctors from across the state staged a demonstration against the bill. In fact, Indian Medical Association Tamil Nadu State Branch called for a strike on Tuesday from 6 am to 6 pm. However, it was suspended earlier after the bill had been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee in Lok Sabha. 

According to president of Government Doctors Association, around 15,500 government doctors participated in the strike, including some from private hospitals in the city. 

“Arrangements were made to ensure that patients were not affected by the strike. Services available at the GH for the outpatients were affected between 9 am to 10 am. However, there were no serious implications,” said IMA state president J A Jayalal. 

“A few of us were only not available for an hour. We ensured that the patients were not affected,” said a post-graduation student from MMC.  

There were nation-wide protests organised on Tuesday regarding the new bill as doctors called it discriminatory. “It removes all the regulations required to start a medical college and that will allow incessant corruption. Also, the bill is anti-people as the cost of medical education and healthcare will rise,” the doctors said. 

One of the major points of opposition is the inclusion of AYUSH practitioners, allowing them to practise allopathy through a bridge course. “This will affect those living in the rural areas. Can the law makers trust their lives with these doctors,” asked IMA state president Jayalal. Talking about the NEXT (National Exit Test), he said, “According to the new bill, medical graduates will have to take an exit exam, which will also be treated as an entrance exam for post-graduate courses. This will not be favourable for many students.”

Nearly 350 doctors in the Vellore Pentland Hospital and the GH struck work for one hour from 9 am in support of their demand to abolish the proposed Central medical commission on Tuesday. Tailoring their strike, at the far end of the OP period ensured that not many patients were affected. However, supporting the move, 350 private hospitals and 800 private clinics were closed.