Terming Parliamentary Standing Committee's report on National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill worse than the bill itself, Indian Medical Association, India's largest body of doctors, has decided to go on indefinite strike from April 2 to oppose the Bill.

The decision to this effect was taken at IMA Maha Panchayat at Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on March 25. Around 25,000 doctors joined Maha Panchayat.

The NMC Bill 2017, which seeks to replace the existing apex medical education regulator, the Medical Council of India, with a new body, was moved by the government in Parliament in December last year. Following opposition from the medical fraternity over different provisions of the proposed legislation, the Bill was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

The NMC bill proposes to allow practitioners of alternative medicines such as Homoeopathy and Ayurveda to practice modern medicine after completion of bridge course. The parliamentary panel has recommended that the bridge course not be made a mandatory provision.

IMA termed the parliamentary committee's recommendation deceptive saying that it will open back door entry of Ayush professionals into modern medicine which will affect patient care and patient safety.

The Bill introduces a national medical licentiate exam which every candidate, who completes five years of MMBS course, will have to clear to become a medical practitioner or get entry into post-graduation studies. It also proposes that the national medical licentiate exam be made compulsory for doctors with foreign medical degree, to make them eligible to practice medicine in India. The panel was in favor of the provision.

IMA opposed the provision saying that instituting a medical licentiate exam after qualifying in final MBBS exam is an injustice. It is highly insensitive to the plight of medical students who even otherwise must undergo a long and tortuous academic career chequered with highly competitive exams.

The Bill also takes away the voting right of every doctor in India to elect their medical council. MCI is a representative body of the medical profession in India. Any registered medical practitioner in the country can contest the election and every qualified doctor can vote. Abolishing a democratic institution and replacing it by a body in which majority are nominated by the government is certainly a retrograde step, lamented IMA.