Pics: Sphoorty Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 15: The city unit of Indian Medical Association (IMA) organized a protest dharna in front of the IMA office in the city on Thursday July 15, against the arbitrary decisions taken by the central government to dissolve Medical Council of India (MCI) without holding transparent debate on the issues involved, proposal to introduce Bachelor of Rural Healthcare degree, and the proposed enactment of Clinical Establishment Act.

Medical practitioners all over the country are up in arms against the shocking dissolution of Medical Council of India through an ordinance. They strongly feel that the government should have allowed for a debate and threadbare discussion on all the issues plaguing the MCI before taking such a drastic decision. The establishment of a temporary board by the government on its own without following transparency, the IMA feels, gives scope for unscrupulous elements to have their say in health-related issues. MCI, which comprised of doctors alone so far,  is a 85 year-old entity, and any measure to meddle with its affairs should have been taken after a through discussion and detailed consideration, and alleged misconduct, misuse of power or misappropriation on the part of a couple of individuals in MCI does not call for such a sweeping move, the doctors argue.

The doctors have been agitating against the issues concerning them, all over India, on Thursday July 15. A symbolic dharna is being organized today in shifts, to ensure that the patients do not face hardships, informed Annayya Kulal, secretary, IMA Mangalore unit. If the protest fails to have the desired affect, a decision will be taken by the parent body to organize a day’s Medical Bharat Bandh involving all health services on a future day to be specified later, he said.

The doctors also are apprehensive that the introduction of the Bachelor of Rural Healthcare degree to take care of rural populace has lot of shortcomings. The holders of this degree will have minimal knowledge about health and healthcare, and it is felt that the people living in villages will get substandard healthcare through these doctors.

Likewise, the formulation of Clinical Establishment Act, which proposes to empower government officials to conduct spot checks and inspections on clinics and other facilities, even in case of registered doctors, the doctors fear, can turn into another agency where corrupt officials will have an upper hand and genuine medical practitioners might undergo undue sufferings in their hands.

In addition to Kulal, IMA president, Dr Mohandas Bhandary B, president-designate, Dr Mukund, treasurer, Dr K R Kamat, joint secretary, Dr Nitish Bhandary, vice president, Dr G K Bhat, Dr Nagesh Attavar etc., participated in the dharna.