Jamshedpur, Nov. 16: The Indian Medical Association(IMA), Jamshedpur chapter, joined the pan India protest by the doctors� union here on Wednesday to demand prompt action to key issues impacting the medical community at large.
�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 Arun Kumar Singh, State President IMA and Dr.Umesh Khan, President IMA Jamshedpur branch and Dr R N Tandon, Honorary Secretary General (Elect) IMA in a joint statement.
The Satyagraha called against the proposed National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill was held in over 500 cities simultaneously between 11 am to 1pm on the occasion of International Tolerance Day and saw the participation of over one lakh doctors.
IMA has been demanding key reforms towards the betterment of the medical profession since over a year. The Satyagraha that was originally supposed to be held in November 2015 was postponed on the assurance of Hon�ble Health Minister of India, J P Nadda that an Inter-Ministerial Committee will address IMA’s demands within six weeks.
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.
Elaborating on the demands, Dr KK Aggarwal, National President Elect IMA, 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. 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.�
�IMA asks for the government to consider the demands that it has put forward on behalf of 2.7 lakh doctors and action them within a six weeks period. These are genuine demands and need to be considered on priority,� said Dr Agarwal and Dr A Marthanda Pillai, Immediate Past President IMA in a joint statement.
