Hyderabad: The Indian Medical Association’s call for withdrawal of non-emergency services on Saturday to protest against the National Medical Commission Bill secured full support from doctors, who said that they would intensify their agitation if the Bill was passed in Parliament.
Calling the Bill “draconian and pro-rich,” Telangana state IMA president Dr Narsinga Reddy said “Private medical colleges will have 50 per cent of seats to give to the highest bidder. Medical education will become unaffordable even for the upper middle class.”
Dr Mohammed Iqbal Jaweed of TS IMA explained, “The Centre is trying to legalise the medical practice of RMPs and quacks and that is why it is abolishing the Medical Council of India. The NMC Bill is against patient safety. Doctors are going to be wary of taking up botched cases as they will be blamed for all the wrongdoing.”
IMA president Dr Ravi Wankhedkar said the Bill would marginalise the role of the state government under whom health policies have to be implemented. The state medical councils, state health universities are going to be ignored, he said.
