Bengaluru: Hospitals to be shut, doctors strike today

Bengaluru: Tuesday will again witness a protest similar to the KPME Ammendment Act protest a few months ago, as the Indian Medical Association Action Committee declared a "Black Day" on Tuesday, protesting against a bill that proposes a new regulatory structure to replace the corruption-tainted Medical Council of India.

It has declared closure of all routine services for 12 hours from 6 am to 6 pm. Hospitals in the city are likely to see chaotic scenes as no routine OPD and elective surgeries will be taken up.

The Union Cabinet on Monday approved the National Medical Commission Bill, which seeks to replace the existing apex regulator of medical education, MCI, by a new advisory body, called the National Medical Commission (NMC). The NMC will have four autonomous boards, tasked with conducting undergraduate and postgraduate education, assessing and rating medical institutions, registering practitioners and enforcing medical ethics.

“NMC is a pro-private management Bill paving the way for widespread corruption. It removes all the regulations required to start a medical college. Under this Bill, no one needs any permission to start a medical college. Also, any private medical college can increase its UG/PG seats by itself," said Dr Dr H.N. Ravindra, president of IMA Karnataka, adding that the government should strengthen the MCI and take action against corrupt medical professionals rather than introduce NMC.

According to the NMC Bill, only up to 40% of seats in a private medical college can be regulated by the government. For the rest of 60% or more seats, the private colleges will fix the rates, which means that poor students from SC/ST sections will be deprived of medical education.

“It is not democratic and will hurt medical education severely," said the state MCI secretary Dr B. Veeranna. “More than the doctors, the BIll will affect the students and one of the sections of NMC can be misused by UGMEB or PGMEB as per the instructions of the central government. Some health ministers of states are already trying to give training to AYUSH doctors under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Such candidates may do lobbying to include their names in the medical register of NMC by amending the first schedule. It is going to be hazardous for society and will have an adverse effect on the healthcare system in the country." However, on Tuesday, emergency and critical care services will be available. “It will be a total bandh, which will mainly be undertaken by the students and also doctors,” the organisers said.

The bill of contention

• Big loopholes in financial penalties, ranging from Rs 5 crore to Rs 100 crore, opening up floodgates of corruption.
• Medical education in the country will become expensive, placing the lower socioeconomic groups at great disadvantage.
• Only five states will be represented in NMC at any point of time. The other 24 will be unrepresented, denying them privileges.
• The state medical councils, which are sovereign bodies as per laws passed by state legislatures, will come directly under NMC
• Medical universities do not have a representation in NMC. One per state will be represented in an advisory body, Medical Advisory Council