Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Health-care services at Government hospitals across the State, particularly in Jammu province, are likely to be hit on Thursday as Doctors Association Jammu have announced complete shutdown of OPD and OT services in Government Hospitals across Jammu region in protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.
“Doctors Association Jammu condemned Section 32 of the NMC Bill which provides for licensing of 3.5 lakhs unqualified non-medical persons to practice modern medicine,” said Dr Balvinder Singh, president of DAJ in a statement. He said that 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 practice modern medicine.
“This provision and the earlier objected provisions can never be accepted by the medical fraternity of the State,” Dr Balvinder asserted. He said that the mess created by the Bill regarding the examinations affecting the career generations of medical students cannot be condoned. The numerous other inconsistencies in the Bill will seriously affect the Health of the nation, he added.
Extending their support to the agitation call given by FORDA and IMA India, Dr Balvinder said that DAJ will observe complete shutdown of OPD and OT services across all the hospitals in Jammu province on Thursday in protest against the NMC Bill, which is slated to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
“Resident doctors of GMC Jammu will boycott all non-essential services on Thursday as a mark of protest against NMC Bill and will also held a protest demonstration,” Dr Amit Kumar president, Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) GMC Jammu said while alleging that the bill was “anti-poor, anti-student and undemocratic”. He said that RDA has given a notice to the administration regarding the proposed strike.
To show resentment against NMC bill, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has also called for one hour withdrawal of services on Thursday (August 1) from 10 AM to 11 AM. “The non-essential services, including OPDs, will be shut from 10 AM to 11 AM on Thursday but emergency services like casualty, operation theatres, ICU and related services will function normally,” said a spokesperson of DAK in a statement.
The DAK has asked medical students of various medical colleges in State to boycott classes in solidarity. DAK president Dr Suhail Naik said that NMC bill is ‘draconian’ in nature and is going to degrade and degenerate the health and medical education system of country.
“This bill legalizes quackery as it has vaguely defined term Community Health Provider and allows anyone associated with modern medicine to get registered in NMC and be licensed to practice modern medicine,” he said.
Dr Owais H Dar, general secretary of DAK said that if the Bill is not amended, it will lead to deterioration in the standards of medical education.
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