Coimbatore: Black badge stir by private doctors, work unaffected in hospitals

Coimbatore: As many as 2,200 doctors members of the Coimbatore chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) who are affiliated to 400 private hospitals, reported to duty on Friday, wearing black badges to participate in a day-long protest.

The protest was against the Consumer Protection Bill 2018, National Medical Commission and the Medical Council (amendment) Bill 2018, which the doctors claim are a threat to the medical profession. The doctors also condemned the attacks on hospitals by irate public.

Addressing the media at the IMA Coimbatore office, president Dr. Vinod Rajkumar, said, “It (the bill) says that no expert medical opinion is required. This means medical cases will be dealt without a medical or legal expert.”

National vice-chairman of the Hospital Board of India, Dr. Ravikumar, said, “The so-called consumer mediation cells will only lead to corruption, besides giving patients an opportunity to threaten doctors.”

Doctors are unhappy with the increase in sanctioning powers of the District Consumer Redressal Forum from ' 10 lakh to ' 1 crore. Doctors feel that patients will begin demanding '1 crore compensation, and doctors to defend themselves, will refer patients and medical emergency cases to bigger hospitals. Increasing travel time will also bring down the prospects of saving a patient’s life