Ensure single-window accountability for registration, urges IMA

A decision to this effect will help doctors concentrate better on their professional work

New Delhi, 03 June 2017: The IMA will flag off the Dilli Chalo movement on 6th June 2017 as part of its clarion call against the atrocities faced by the medical fraternity. The silent satyagraha, as it is being called, will be joined by thousands of doctors from all over India in person or digitally through a webcast. One of the issues being highlighted as part of the movement is the lack of a single-window registration for doctors and medical establishments.

The  IMA has stated that it is not against regulations and accountability, but the manner in which it has been put into the Law is contradictory to the Central Establishment Act. The Association demanded a single-window accountability, a single-window regulation, which is missing in the Act currently.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, "The very fact that 80% of health care services are handled by the private sector means either the services of the government are not up to the mark or they do not have enough infrastructure. The private sector is doing the job of the government. Then why are there so many exams for the medical students and so many registrations for opening a new medical establishment as also so many windows for accountability? Why can’t we have single-window registration and single-window accountability? Doctors also want single-window accountability for registration for license to practice and registration of their medical establishment. Let doctors concentrate on their professional work and not divert their energies in permissions and administration matters."

A single-window accountability for doctors will reduce the scope of harassment and eliminate any differentiation between private and government doctors.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, "These are testing times with the nobility and dignity of this profession at stake. Only if these issues are addressed at the right time will we be able to restore the faith that humanity has on doctors. The urgent need of the hour is to expose the black sheep which is the cause for all trouble. The medical profession was, is, and will always remain noble."

The last few months have seen several other initiatives by the IMA on this front such as STOP NMC Sathyagraha, two National Protest Days against violence on doctors, NO to NEXT strike in medical colleges, and the National Black Day against West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act. Other than this, 3 action committee meetings and 2 meetings of FOMA were also conducted. The IMA is also initiating a signature campaign on the issues at hand on social media and has urged all doctors to join and collect hundreds of thousands of signatures to demand justice from the government.

IMA to flag off the Dilli Chalo movement

IMA to flag off the Dilli Chalo movement

·         Doctors unified in their stand against the many issues faced by the medical profession

·         This huge movement is the need of the hour to urge the government to take strong action

New Delhi, 02 June 2017: In what will probably be the largest movement against the atrocities faced by the medical profession, the IMA will be organizing the Dilli Chalo movement on 6th June 2017 and has urged the entire medical fraternity to join in large numbers. The Association has already undertaken an intensive month-long campaign to raise awareness on and bring to light the issues faced by the medical profession today. IMA is a unified voice and the collective consciousness of the medical profession in the country.

The medical profession is facing one of the toughest times today. Repeated pleas and appeals by the medical fraternity have not materialized into anything except reassurances time and again, to the extent that states are now coming out with draconian acts like the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Act. It is after having decided that enough is enough that the IMA has given this clarion call, Dilli Chalo.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, "This is probably one of the toughest phases in the history of medicine. Doctors around the country are agitated and not at mental peace. This is not in the interest of the society. The Protest March will start at 8:00 AM from Rajghat and reach the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium by 11:00 AM. Over 50,000 doctors from all over India will join the movement and a large number will gather in Delhi at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. Doctors from over 50 cities including all the 30 states will be participating in the deliberations at the stadium and the remaining will be connected digitally over a live webcast."

The last few months have seen several other initiatives by the IMA on this front such as STOP NMC Sathyagraha, two National Protest Days against violence on doctors, NO to NEXT strike in medical colleges, and the National Black Day against West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act. Other than this, 3 action committee meetings and 2 meetings of FOMA were also conducted.

Adding further, Dr Vijay Malhotra, President, DMA and Dr Satish Tyagi, Secretary General, DMA, in a joint statement, said, "This is a peaceful Satyagraha and not a strike. All doctors will gather at Rajghat and start with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi. Doctors (senior and junior), students, and the entire medical fraternity will participate in the deliberations. There will be three tableaus moving in and around Delhi to create awareness on these issues. The IMA is also initiating a signature campaign on the issues at hand on social media and has urged all doctors to join and collect hundreds of thousands of signatures to demand justice from the government."

The Dilli Chalo movement aims to address the following demands by the medical fraternity.

·         Criminal prosecution of medical negligence and clerical errors

·         Stringent central act against violence on doctors

·         Capping the compensation in CPA on doctors

·         Professional autonomy in treatment and prescriptions

·         Amendments in PC PNDT, Central CEA, West Bengal CEA Acts

·         No unscientific mixing of systems of medicine

·         Empower MBBS graduates

·         One drug - One company - One price

·         Implement inter-ministerial committee recommendations in six weeks

·         Single window accountability

·         Single window registration of doctors and medical establishments

·         No to NMC: Amend IMC act to maintain professional autonomy

·         Uniform final MBBS exam instead of ‘NEXT’

·         Uniform service conditions for service doctors & faculty

·         Same work - Same pay - Pay parity - No to adhocism

·         Fair conduction of NEET exam

·         IMA member in every government health committee

·         Central anti-quackery law

·         Reimbursement of emergency services provided by private sector

·         25000 family medicine PG seats

·         Aided hospitals and retainer ship in general practice

·         Health budget of 5 % of GDP for universal health coverage

Amend the IMC Act to ensure professional autonomy, says IMA

Amend the IMC Act to ensure professional autonomy, says IMA

Calls the National Medical Commission Act as undemocratic

New Delhi, 01 June 2017: Demanding professional autonomy for doctors, the IMA raised another boiling issue leading up to the nationwide Dilli Chalo movement that it is going to undertake on the 6th of June 2017. Dubbing the move to introduce NMA (National Medical Commission Act) as undemocratic, the IMA intensified its month-long campaign to highlight the problems faced by the medical fraternity today.

Demanding the protection of professional autonomy, the IMA feels that there is a need to amend the present IMC Act as opposed to the introduction of the NMA. The WMA (World Medical Association) has also supported the IMA on their stand.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, "Doctors are professionals and professional autonomy is their right.  The autonomy of the medical profession is under threat throughout the world and what is happening in India can happen elsewhere too. It is imperative that physicians everywhere speak out against marginalization of the medical profession and in support of professional autonomy, as this is a prerequisite for high-quality patient care as well. The new Commission proposed by the government effectively means that non-doctors handpicked by the government will regulate the medical profession without any autonomy. This is unacceptable."

Currently, the MCI has 130 members, having a representative character with two-thirds elected and one-third nominated professional members representing the entire spectrum of professional stakeholders.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, "The proposed National Medical Commission will have 19 handpicked members nominated by the government. It will be a 100% nominated Commission with no representative character, mostly comprising non-doctors without any autonomy. This is not acceptable."

The Dilli Chalo march will be joined by over a lakh doctors in the country, both digitally and physically, and followed by deliberations on issues ailing the medical profession, one of them being the drug pricing policy. The IMA is also initiating a signature campaign on the issues at hand on social media and has urged all doctors to join and collect hundreds of thousands of signatures to demand justice from the government.