PNN/ Faridabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) HQ calls for 24 hours withdrawal of non essential services on Wednesday as a mark of protest against National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2019 which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The protest will stage from 6 am on Wednesday, 31July to till 6 am the next day. Emergency, Casualty, ICU and related services will function normally.

This information while sharing with PNN Correspondent, Dr Punita Hasija, President IMA Faridabad said Public demonstrations and hunger strikes will be organised by all the state and local branches.

All the members of the modern medical fraternity have been requested to participate. All the medical students have been requested to boycott classes and proclaim solidarity.

Dr Hasija said the war against NMC will continue. IMA warns to further intensify the agitation if the Government continues to be indifferent to our concerns.

The struggle to redeem the Health of the nation is our privilege and sacred duty. We will never allow licensing unqualified non medical persons to kill our patients. We will never allow our mothers and children to die in thousands for ever due to this Black Law.

IMA baptised in the freedom struggle of the nation rises to protect our patients and the Health of the nation.

IMA rejects NMC Bill 2019

Dr Hasija further said the Lok Sabha has approved and passed the draconian NMC Bill yesterday. The democratic lower house has dumped healthcare and medical education of this country into darkness by approving the undemocratic National Medical Commission Bill 2019.

Section 32 of the NMC Bill provides for licensing of 3.5 lakhs unqualified non medical persons to practise modern medicine. The term Community Health Provider has been vaguely defined to allow anyone connected with modern medicine to get registered in NMC and be licensed to practise modern medicine. This means persons without medical background are becoming eligible to practise modern medicine and prescribe independently. This law legalises quackery.

She said this provision and the other controversial provisions can never be accepted by IMA or the medical fraternity of the country.

Dr Punita Hasija at last said the mess created by the Bill regarding the examinations affecting the career of generations of medical students can not be condoned. The numerous other inconsistencies in the Bill will seriously affect the Health of the nation.

Shafi Shiddique