IMA Bengal chapter to observe 'National Medical Black Day' against NMC Bill today

Kolkata: As a part of nation-wide protest against the National Medical Commission Bill, the West Bengal chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will observe 'National Medical Black Day' on Tuesday.

Calling the Bill Draconian, the IMA state chapter said that the Centre is adamant to pass the Bill, which is anti-people, anti-community and anti-backward class. According to the senior officials of the IMA, the Medical Commission Bill will make the medical education system of the country more expensive, politicised and less qualitative.

Medical students and doctors will go for a strike from 6 am to 6 pm on Tuesday. State Secretary of the IMA, Dr Santanu Sen has, however, assured that the there will be no interruption of health services at the emergency departments of the hospitals and critical care units. The doctors will, however, wear black badges to mark the protest.

There will be a protest rally of doctors of the IMA at 2 pm from Calcutta Medical College and Hospital to Dr B C Roy's House. IMA has also approached MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of all the Opposition parties and some of the ruling parties to take part in the discussion to be held on Tuesday at 2pm.

"From Bengal, we have already got support of almost 90 per cent of the MPs. They had opposed the Bill when it was being tabled on 29 December," Dr Sen said.

West Bengal Medical Council and Progressive Doctors association members will also take part in Tuesday's rally. Various other organisations of doctors have also extended their moral support for the movement.

It may be mentioned here that more than 500 medical students and junior doctors hit the city's streets on last Wednesday to protest against the Centre's move to introduce the National Exit Test (NEXT) for MBBS graduates and also the abolition of the Medical Council of India.

Union Health Ministry has proposed the NMC Bill 2017, thereby replacing the Medical Council of India (MCI) with National Medical Commission (NMC), a new body and is also set to introduce NEXT.

If the proposed Bill is cleared by the Parliament, the students who had already been selected through the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), would be asked to appear for NEXT after the completion of their MBBS degree at the end of five years.