Indian Medical Association (IMA) would launch post-graduate courses through distance education mode on the occasion of its platinum jubilee celebrations on December 28, 2002. To begin with, courses would be introduced in nine disciplines. This was announced by Dr S Arul Rhaj, National President, Indian Medical Association.

Addressing a press conference at the IMA office in Hyderabad, Dr Rhaj said the Association had moved the Union Government to accord Deemed University status to IMA's A K Sinha Institute in New Delhi. He said IMA had been striving to upgrade the skills of the doctors in the country.

Dr Rhaj said IMA was preparing to establish a medical emergency management system at the national level to immediately attend to patients in case of emergencies. The Association had prepared a draft plan on emergency medicine, which would be implemented in 2003.The year would be observed as the Year of Emergency Medicine, he said.

He revealed that IMA had taken up a campaign to ensure that all clinical establishments made arrangements for disposal of biomedical wastes before December 31, the deadline set by the Government.

IMA state president, Dr N Raghava Rao, appealed to the Medical Council of India to sanction states to elect one member to the body for every 5,000 doctors. He also requested the state government to strictly implement the Private Clinical Establishments Regulation Act 2002 in order to keep a check on quacks.