AIIMS medicos, students hold candle light march in the campus.
The medical fraternity from various hospitals and colleges of India protested on Monday against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill saying it will flourish quackery in the country.
The mass protests were organised following a call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The IMA held a protest march by the medical fraternity from Nirman Bhawan—which houses the Health Ministry—to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi under the banner of ‘Delhi Andolan’.
Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) and Students Union (SU) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi also held a peaceful candle march in the campus from JL Auditorium to Gate number one.
“The autonomy and pride of entire medical fraternity has been surrendered to the whims and a fancy of politicians and bureaucrats even as the Union Health Minister is doctors himself (sic),” RDA President Dr Amarinder Singh Malhi and President AIIMS Students’ Union Mukul Kumar said in a joint statement.
They said the section 45 of the bill empowers Government of Indian to override any recommendations and suggestions by National Medical Commission.
“Government of India can also make any directions to NMC and autonomous boards constituted there-under regarding any policy matter to be followed religiously without any argument by the commission. This is the mockery of representative democracy (sic),” the statement said.
“We still hope that necessary amendments will be made in the bill before being passed in Rajya Sabha,” it reads.
“The fraternity will continue their protests and hope that good sense will prevail upon our Health Minister and Central Government in the protecting the interests of medicos and medical students (sic),” the statement said.
“It will uphold the dignity of the profession and keep interests of healthcare of the citizens of the nation at large,” it added.