Doctors, medical students across country stage protest against NMC Bill

Doctors staged a protest outside Osmania Medical College here on Wednesday over National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.

Terming the bill unconstitutional, several doctors and medical students extended their support and demonstrated protests across the country against the bill.

While doctors of King George's Medical University (KGMU) and Balaji Hospital agitated in Lucknow and Raipur respectively, medical students of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) near Siliguri held a protest against the bill.

Nirmal Majhi, President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Vice President of West Bengal Medical Council, told ANI: "OPDs will remain open at NRS Medical College and Hospital and doctors of all other government hospitals will wear a black ribbon as a mark of protest against the Bill."

"I think it is a direct blow to the medical fraternity and we all are against the bill. The bill is autocratic, unscientific and unconstitutional because those who made the bill are neither doctors nor from the medical fraternity," he added.

While alleging that many clauses of the bill such as Mid-level practitioner or bridge courses are not acceptable to all the doctors in the country, the protesters termed the bill 'anti-student' and 'anti-poor'.

Moreover, the doctors burnt the bill in various medical colleges as a mark of the protest.

Earlier on July 17, the Union Cabinet approved the NMC Bill, 2019 that provides for the setting up of a medical commission in place of Medical Council of India (MCI) and repeal of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.