Appeal to Prime Minister
In a letter written to PM Narendra Modi, the doctors under IMA baner has appeal to understand their genuine difficulties and provide commensurate solutions.
According to Dr Ravi S. Wankhedkar, National President, IMA, we are the modern medicine doctors of India. Thousands of our medical students join us in this appeal. All speciality organizations, Junior Doctors Organizations, Service Doctors organizations are also part of this appeal. We have serious grievances in the way medical profession and Health Care is being governed. We appeal to our PM to understand our genuine difficulties and provide commensurate solutions.
National Medical Commission Bill 2017 :-
• Registration and practice of modern medicine by Ayush doctors or other categories of non doctors is a direct threat to patient care and patient safety. This illegitimate empowerment is unacceptable in any manner and form.
• Promote and protect Ayurveda in its pure form.
• Restrict the quota of private medical college managements to 15% of the total seats. Enable the State Governments to regulate the fee of 85% of the seats.
• Increase the representation of Registered Medical Graduates, Health Universities and the State Governments to the level currently available in MCI in tune with the concept of federalism.
EMR Board should be headed by a well experienced modern medicine doctor who had been a care giver. Law and ethics are entirely different disciplines. A Judge as the head of EMR Board is inappropriate in a position which determines ethics and etiquette of the medical profession. Moreover such an appointment transforms this platform into one that is prone for litigation.
Violence on Doctors
Mindless violence on doctors has become an everyday affair. We are thankful that you have condemned the same. There is an urgent need to bring a Central Act against this violence and provide safety and ambience in our hospitals. Hospitals need to be declared as safe zones to protect the legitimate interest of the patients.
No criminal prosecution
No medical negligence case could be deemed as a crime because of absence of ‘mens rhea’ or the criminal intent. As a corollary criminal prosecution under 302, 304, 304 A is an injustice. This medieval practice should be discontinued in a civilized society.
Consumer Protection Act
Consumer Protection Act converted patients into consumers. CPA has opened floodgates of litigations against doctors. There is an urgent need to cap the compensation on a well reasoned and structured formula.
PC PNDT Act
Minor clerical errors have sent doctors to jails. There is a need for graded punishment as per the gravity of the offence.
Clinical Establishment Act
Bring in amendments in the Act to make CEA friendly to the Clinical Establishments.
The ambience to practice medicine has rapidly deteriorated. Legislations insensitive to the concerns of the medical profession will take us nowhere. It is for these burning reasons that we appeal to PM Modi to address our difficulties and provide just and timely solutions.