CHENNAI: Newly elected national president of IMA Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, who has been opposing the implementation of the National Medical Commission Bill in its present form, has urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee to have fair discussions with all stakeholders, and ensure appropriate changes before its implementation.
Exuding confidence that the Centre will bring in necessary changes in the Bill so as to set the agenda for the next one hundred years, he said the decision of the Lok Sabha to send the National Medical Commission Bill to Parliamentary Standing Committee for a relook is a wise one. The Bill should not be implemented in the present form as it is anti-poor, pro rich and anti democratic and unrepresentative bill which is an attack on the federal policy of the country.” Besides, it will increase the cost of medical education in India and decr-ease the standards of medical education and healthcare, as well, he added.
Speaking to this correspondent in the city on Friday, Dr Ravi Wankhedkar replied to a specific query, “one hundred per cent, it should not be implemented in the present form.” “The government, luckily, has taken a wise decision of referring it to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which was our first demand. Try to understand (the implications), they are going to replace it with the institution, which is already about 85-years-old. The Indian Medical Council was established in 1933. Now you are going to replace it with another body, which will last for another hundred years. So, have fair discussion with all the stakeholders, take everyone’s opinion and then implement it because it should last for another one hundred years,” he said.
He said the Standing Committee would address the concerns of the stakeholders and make the necessary changes. Yatra to promote healthy nation, combat TB:
The IMA will launch a three-week nationwide yatra to promote healthy nation concept, especially focusing on the fact that government health infrastructure needs to be improved and people should have health as their basic rights. “In one sentence, that would cover everything, I would say: Healthy profession for a healthy nation. This is my moto. This yatra covers all the districts of the country and it will be launched from Swamy Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari (Land’s End) on March 1,” Dr Ravi informed. Basically, this would be a mass contact programme of the doctors. “This is my flagship programme.. Unless the doctors move out and connect with the society, health will not improve. So, all our national leaders will visit different parts of the country,” he said and added that chapters of IMA would also conduct the yatra. In addition, IMA has planned two cycling events. Four teams will start from four corners of the country and they will all converge at India Gate, Delhi, on March 24 coinciding with World Tuberculosis Day. This is part of IMA’s campaign against TB. On March 18, all branches will have cycle rallies within their cities.
