Junior doctors protest against NMC bill in Vijayawada

Junior doctors of Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada held a rally against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill on Thursday demanding amendments to be made in three clauses.

Agitating doctors pressed for the government to quash the proposed six months of training and certification of community health workers in the Bill.

"Today we are here for a silent protest rally against the NMC Bill which was passed five days back. We want a few amendments in the bill. We are not comfortable with three clauses which are in the Bill," said Secretary of the Junior Doctors Association, Dr Alicia.

"One clause states a NEXT exam, in which they have not given any clear criteria. It is not clear whether it will be a theory exam or practical. Without giving any details how do they expect us to write an exam," she added.

The second, Alicia says, is a clause on community health providers in which a person who has completed class 12 can take up a course of six months and practice modern medicine whereas doctors study for six years.

"In the third clause, a commission has been constituted in which the percentage of doctors is only five per cent which is unjustifiable to us as. A non-medical representative cannot find solutions to our problems," she said.

The doctors also want the government to quash the privatisation of medical seats as according to them, it will hamper the quality of doctors produced every year.

The strike will continue till the government accepts their demands and makes amendment in the Bill passed, Alicia said.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had passed the NMC Bill this week which seeks to create National Medical Commission in place of Medical Council of India (MCI).

It provides for the repeal of the Indian Medical Council Act 1956. The Bill provides that the common final year MBBS exam be known as NEXT which would serve as a licentiate exam for entrance to post-graduate medical courses and as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.