​ IMA doctors in city to go on strike today against NMC bill

AGRA: Around 500 doctors in the city under the banner of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have declared a “no work day" on March 25 to protest the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill (2017), which seeks to allow practitioners of Ayurveda and other traditional medical practitioners to practice modern medicine once they complete a short term “bridge” course.Doctors said they would not work even in cases of emergency.
According to secretary of IMA Agra, Dr OP Yadav, most doctors would take part in the “mahapanchayat rally” to be held at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on Sunday, March 25. Others would gather at the IMA House in Agra to deprecate the NMC bill.
Yadav said, “There will be no clinical or emergency work in Agra as we will be protesting against the NMC bill, which is against us and the common people.”
Doctors also took an exception to the fact that the bill would allow traditional medical practitioners to switch to modern medicine only after a bridge course even as MBBS doctors needed to go through an exit test as well as an internship after completing their four-year degree to be allowed to practice as certified doctors.
President of IMA, Agra, Dr Ravi Pachauri said, “We are opposing the bill as it has various discrepancies. In this regard, city doctors will take part in the mahapanchayat rally in New Delhi on March 25.”
Meanwhile, protesters who are part of the nation-wide cycle rally against the NMC bill were welcomed in Agra on Saturday morning before they moved on towards Delhi to attend the mahapanchayat rally there.