NEW DELHI: Outpatient Department (OPD) services at hospitals will be hit on Wednesday as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a “token” strike on Wednesday in protest against the passage of National Medical Commission Bill, 2019, in the Lok Sabha.
“Emergency, Casualty, ICU and related services will function normally. All the medical students are requested to boycott classes and proclaim solidarity,” the IMA stated.
Till the reports came in the evening, the Resident Doctors Association, AIIMS stated that it is yet to take a final call on extending support to IMA and going for a strike.
“The Lok Sabha approved and passed the draconian NMC Bill yesterday. The democratic lower house dumped healthcare and medical education of our country into darkness by approving undemocratic National Medical Commission Bill 2019. Section 32 of the NMC Bill provides for licensing of 3.5 lakhs unqualified non-medical persons to practice modern medicine,” IMA said in a statement.
“Be it Parliament, be it streets will always stand for the rights of Doctors & medical students (sic),” IMA president Santanu Sen tweeted to urge his colleagues to take part in the protest.
On Monday, the Lok Sabha passed the NMC Bill that seeks to create the National Medical Commission (NMC) in place of the Medical Council of India (MCI). The Bill was passed with 260 members voting in its favour and 48 against it.
Safdarjung Doctor found dead
A resident doctor of Safdarjung Hospital was found dead at his rented flat in Lajpat Nagar area on Tuesday. The incident was reported to the police at 8.51 a.m. by a flatmate of deceased Sudhanshu Singh, 30 after foul smell came out from his room. Singh was found lying on a mattress with an intravenous drip in his arm, the police said.