Indian Medical Association has taken strong objection to various provisions in the Clinical Establishment bill mooted by the Union health ministry. The Association feels that managing clinical establishments is a state subject and there is no need for a Central government intervention in this matter.
Regarding the provision relating to medical negligence in the Bill, IMA is of the view that no arrest of doctors should be made before a proper investigation. IMA's officials expressed the view while responding to various clauses incorporated in the Bill in Delhi.
IMA National President Dr Ajay Kumar, said that the Clinical Establishment Bill was introduced in the Parliament and has been referred to the Standing Committee to review it. "The small clinics and nursing homes, which play a pivotal role in healthcare delivery in every nook and corner of the country will be affected the most and the healthcare delivery system will be jeopardized. It will lead to harassment of the medical community as a whole and the public in general," said Ajay kumar.
Over Supreme Court Order on Medical Negligence, Dr S N Mishra, secretary general, IMA said, that doctors are being arrested by the police without having investigated in recent years and that is causing an unnecessary terror among the doctors. "Although the Supreme Court gave a verdict that no arrest of doctors can be made before a proper investigation, many incidences have been occurred throughout the country due to lack of information amongst the local administration," said Dr Mishra.
IMA also emphasized that Quacks were becoming a big problem in the country as they were playing with the lives of the citizens, and yet government was mum. Talking over the issue, Nerendra Sainee, joint secretary, IMA said "Quackery is rampant in the form of unqualified doctors practicing modern medicine, person of a particular stream of medicine is practicing another system of medicine". He said that the condition had become much more serious as chemists were prescribing medicines to the patients.