Plan awareness drive to highlight how new rules such as restricting number of docs in an area are unreasonable
Plan awareness drive to highlight how new rules such as restricting number of docs in an area are unreasonable
The medical fraternity in the city is up in arms against the Health Ministry for the introduction of some recent rules that it claims are absurd and are meant for micro-management of the medical community.
On Saturday and Sunday, doctors wore black bands while at work in hospitals or clinics to show their dissent. They have also planned a large awareness drive for citizens on February 13 and aim to enlist public support for their cause.
The government recently announced that it would dissolve the Medical Council of India and a new medical body will be formed under the new Clinical Establishment Act, 2010, which is to be implemented soon.
According to this act, any doctor wanting to set up a clinic in any area will have to first take permission from that body before he starts up.
"The first condition is that the area where the doctor wants to have his practice should not have more than 10 doctors. Then they want that clinic be on ground floor or first floor and have also specified how much area and what drugs to keep, et cetera.
We find these conditions quite unreasonable and absurd," said Dr Nitin Jhankar, president of General Practitioners Association. "How can one decide that if an area has 10 doctors, people there don't need another?"
The doctors are also protesting against some other things like revision of the doctors' licence renewal period from five years to every three years and also starting rural MBBS course of shorter duration.
"The government without any consultation has announced that it will start a course for those wanting to practise in rural areas. In this case, they can finish MBBS in three-and-half years as against the normal
five-and-half.
We want to know how is that possible? Is the life of a rural person less important that they are shortening the course?" said Dr Sharad Agharkhedkar, president of Indian Medical Association, Pune. "Also isn't it unfair on other doctors who have to wait much longer to pass out and start earning much later."
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