Join the Mahapanchayat on 25th March to make the Indian medical profession strongest in the world

Dr KK Aggarwal

Immediate Past National President IMA

The IMA has been opposing the proposed NMC Bill in its present format on several grounds. Following a country-wide 12-hour strike on 2^nd January this year, the proposed NMC Bill was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee.

The Rajya Sabha Committee considered each clause of the proposed NMC Bill and has given its recommendations on each in Chapter 4 of its report “109^th Report on the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 (Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 20th March, 2018) (Laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on 20th March, 2018)”. The report is in the public domain.

To deliberate on the report, the IMA is organizing a Mahapanchayat on 25th March at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi, 10 am to 2pm. Over 10,000 doctors from all across the country will deliberate on the issue.

As per a note from our National President Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, “after the 1st victory due to the Surgical Strike of 2nd Jan, IMA’s massive pressure has achieved the 2nd victory. Some of IMA demands have been accepted in the Parliamentary Standing Committee report. But the committee report is just a recommendation. Government has to accept and implement these recommendations along with remaining demands.”

25^th March is an opportunity to show our strength to the whole world. Collectively, we see and influence over two crore patients every month. Collectively, on the 25th we should also show that we can also influence government policies and turn them into community-friendly policies.

Most government policies today have penal provisions for doctors likening us to criminals. There are no policies to protect us. The govt. has failed to formulate and implement even a simple demand for a stringent central act for violence against doctors.

Doctors are not supposed to be on the roads protesting. True. Therefore, we are continuing our efforts towards our legitimate demands, the Gandhian way.

The Mahapanchayat is a corollary of the Dilli Chalo movement on the 6th June last year followed by a dawn-to-dusk fast observed throughout the country on 2nd October, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Each movement must be bigger than the previous. The critical mass of one percent must be achieved for any movement to spontaneously spread across the entire nation.

All those who joined physically the Dilli Chalo movement on 6th June last year must repeat their presence, but this time with one more additional friend. You can bring a Non- IMA member or even a non-medical friend to participate.

Delhi Medical Association is hosting the Mahapanchayat. Hence, all doctors from Delhi, in particular, should achieve this critical mass.

It’s time… we should seize this opportunity.

We must persist in our efforts till our goals are achieved.

Cancel all your appointments on 25th March. Just join the mass movement.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

Vice President CMAAO

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Immediate Past National President IMA