Bengaluru: A call to shut down OPDs at all private hospitals from 6 am to 6 pm on Saturday, called by the state branch of the Indian Medical Council (IMA), received a mixed response. The protest was to express the outrage of medical professionals against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill that is to be tabled in Parliament on Monday.
Though some private hospitals in the districts were shut down, in Bengaluru, most super-specialty hospitals, like Fortis, Manipal and BGS, functioned normally.
Fortis Hospitals said that though they support the IMA strike, they cannot inconvenience their patients.
Some hospitals allowed their doctors to participate in the protest, but not at the cost of patients. Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals, said, “The doctors who wish to participate could do so after making alternate arrangements so that there is no inconvenience caused to the patients.”
Dr H.N. Ravindra, president, state branch, IMA, said, “The proposed NMC Bill will reduce the standard of medical education and poor students who dream of becoming doctors will not be able to afford it. ”
