Dimapur, November 17 (MExN): Along with the rest of the country, the Nagaland chapter of Indian Medical Association, on November 16, organised “IMA Stop NMC Satyagraha” to protest against the government’s proposal to dissolve the Medical Council of India (MCI) and replace it with National Medical Commission. Around 2.7 lakhs members participated in the pan India protest held simultaneously across 500 cities between 11:00 am – 1:00 pm on the occasion of International Tolerance Day. “We must together work towards restoring the nobility of the profession and seek the governments help in this. These are issues affecting not one individual but the entire fraternity at large and must be addressed immediately,” said Dr. Ashit Baran Choudhury, State President & Dr. Data Ram Sharma, President IMA Dimapur branch & Dr R N Tandon - Honorary Secretary General (Elect) IMA in a joint statement. IMA, the only representative national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine, has been demanding key reforms towards the betterment of the medical profession since over a year, it added. The Satyagraha originally proposed on November 2015, was later postponed on the assurance of Health Minister of India, JP Nadda that IMA’s demands will be addressed within 6 weeks by an Inter-Ministerial Committee. While the government accepted some demands initially, key issues remain unresolved. The Inter-Ministerial Committee is also only recommendatory in nature making them incapable of any action, it said. Consequently, in a joint statement by IMA National President Dr SS Agarwal and Immediate Past President Dr A. Marthanda Pillai, the association asked for the government to consider the demands that it has put forward on behalf of 2.7 lakh doctors and take actions within a six weeks period. “These are genuine demands and need to be considered on priority,” it said. Elaborating on the demands, IMA National President Elect Dr KK Aggarwal at the dharna said, "IMA has been demanding swift action against serious issues affecting the transparent and efficient functioning of the medical profession since the past one year, yet key issues remain unsolved. The proposed NMC bill is undemocratic and must be done away with.” The PCPNDT Act is unjust and the inclusion of doctors under the purview of the Consumer Protection Act unfair, he added. “Protecting doctors against the increasing incidence of violence is the responsibility of all including the government. Together we stand unified as a medical profession and hope that are demands are heard”. The association is also demanding individual doctor clinics to be taken out of the purview of the Clinical Establishment Act and enforcement of any penal action on doctors for clerical mistakes.
