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.