Medical body calls for 24-hour strike on Wednesday against NMC Bill

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a 24-hour strike on Wednesday to protest the Lok Sabha approving and passing the National Medical Commission Bill (NMC) 2019. The strike includes only the withdrawal of non-essential services.

“The Lower House on Monday dumped healthcare & medical education of this country into darkness by approving undemocratic Bill,” noted the IMA.

It added that Section 32 of the NMC Bill provides for licensing of 3.5 lakhs



unqualified non-medical persons to practise modern medicine.

“The term Community Health Provider has been vaguely defined to allow anyone connected with modern medicine to get registered in NMC and be licensed to practise modern medicine,” the Association said. “This,” it said, “would mean that all paramedics including pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, optometrists and others are becoming eligible to practise modern medicine and prescribe independently. This law legalises quackery.”