Members of the Indian Medical Association will hold a nationwide day-long strike on Monday to protest against government's implementation of certain amendments to the Clinical Establishment Act, 2010 and also against other policies including the National Council for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) Bill-2011 and the new three-year Bachelor of Rural Health and Care (BRHC) programme.
"Private hospitals, consulting chambers, diagnostic centres, clinics and nursing homes will remain closed on June 25," Indian Medical Associations state honorary Secretary Dr SS Agrawal told reporters in Jaipur on Saturday, according to the Press Trust of India.
"The Central government is also trying to amend certain Acts related to clinical establishment and private practise which is likely to adversely affect the profession," he said.
Several doctors across various states have planned to participate in the day-long strike. While more than 25,000 doctors are expected to take part in the strike in Mumbai, at least 2,000 doctors will likely attend the demonstration in Bangalore.
Doctors affiliated to the IMA will hold a protest rally in front of the offices of the local authorities related to the health department. The IMA members in all states will hand over a memorandum addressed to the prime minister and submit it to the respective health departments about their concerns. Medical services are likely to be affected across all states.
Government hospitals will not be closed, but doctors will work wearing a black band as a mark of protest.
The clinical establishment Act came into force on March 1 this year, in which the government has proposed certain amendments which the doctors are opposing.
They are also against the government's NCHRH, which reduces the power of state councils and allows for setting up of a central regulatory body to look at medical education and dissolution of the Medical Council of India .
Several medical organisations including the Private Nursing Homes Association, State unit of Indian Medical Association, the Homoeopathic Medical Association of India and the Indian Dental Association have shown their support for the IMA and called for the one-day bandh.
Members of these organisations believe that the government's decision towards estabilishing changes in their policies may have adverse effect on their profession.
While speaking to the Times of India, Dr Yogesh Doye, president of Homoeopathic Medical Association of Nagpur said: "Most of us have our own clinics as there are very few homoeopathic hospitals. The government wants all the small establishments we have been running since decades to be equipped with a waiting area of at least 200 square feet and air conditioning, among other facilities. This may be impractical and unfeasible for most members of our association."
