Protest over NMC Bill: Rift among agitating doctors to the fore

Hyderabad: Differences among the agitating doctors surfaced on Satuday over National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.

Telangana junior doctors, who are working in tandem with the Indian Medical Association, Telangana unit, and are expressing their strong reservations against the NMC bill, decided to raise a banner of revolt against the senior doctors.

A call to lay siege to IMA office at Koti here was given by the TJUDA members on Saturday afternoon to express their dissent over IMA staying silent in the present do-or-die situation.

As the message went viral on various Whatsapp groups, police swung into action and deployed a huge number of personnel at IMA office at Koti as well as at the main gate of Osmania Medical College.

As doctors obstructed by the police from coming out of the premises. Some postgraduate students were taken into custody and released later.

After the bill was passed on Wednesday evening, Resident Doctors at AIIMS, New Delhi, and junior doctors from a few States including Telangana decided to up the ante by boycotting even the emergency duties.

IMA national unit, in a press statement issued after the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha, vowed to continue the fight through different means in the future.

According to junior doctors, IMA suddenly scaled down the agitation after the passage of the bill and it did not go down well with the PG students across the country.

" No doubt IMA led from the front on raising objections to NMC bill.

The reaction and response from the main national body of doctors after the bill got passed ignoring views of the stakeholders surprised the junior doctors, not only from Telangana State but also from other states.

Resident doctors and junior doctors are continuing the fight, we want IMA to continue this fight with brisk actions," HRDA president Dr Mahesh Kumar explained when asked for reasons for the fresh development to gherao IMA TS office.

Meanwhile, IMA State Secretary Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav felt that there was a little communication gap and that was sorted out after both groups met in the afternoon.

" While PG students are organising strike parallel to the IMA, The IMA is doing its bit exploring various options like legal and mustering support of State governments, he said.