Doctors, medical students join nationwide strike against NMC bill

NEW DELHI: Doctors across the country are holding a 'token' strike with all non-essential services being withdrawn to protest against the passage of National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha. Outpatient Department (OPD) services are likely to be hampered due to the strike but Emergency, casualty, ICU and other related services are expected to remain unaffected. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest body of doctors and students in the country, has urged all doctors to participate in the strike. 

The NMC Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha on July 29 seeks to create the National Medical Commission (NMC) in place of Medical Council of India (MCI). The Bill also proposes a common final-year MBBS examination, known as National Exit Test (NEXT), for admission to post-graduate medical courses and for obtaining a license to practice medicine. Besides this, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), common counselling and NEXT would be applicable to institutes of national importance like AIIMS in order to achieve a common standard in medical education in the country. The Bill was passed with 260 members voting in its favour and 48 against it.

31 July 2019

18:35 IST

Click here to read how the strike has affected patients in Bihar.

18:09 IST

Students of Coimbatore Medical College form a human-chain protesting against the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019.

14:39 IST

READ: What is National Medical Commission Bill and why doctors are opposing it

13:08 IST

Private and state-run hospitals in Kerala hit by the IMA strike. Doctors in private hospitals boycotted out-patient services, while those in state-run hospitals attended only to patients in the out-patient departments.

"The outpatient department in our hospital as well as in other private hospitals are closed, even though we are giving the desired medical attention to in-patients," said a senior doctor attached to a leading private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram told IANS.

11:43 IST

In West Bengal, medical students of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) near Siliguri hold protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019.

West Bengal: Medical students of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) near Siliguri hold protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019. pic.twitter.com/gioAqnle2a

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2019

11:34 IST

In Hyderabad, doctors hold protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019, at Osmania Medical College.

09:24 IST

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, will stage a protest along against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2019.

"In response to the call by the Indian Medical Association and Resident Doctors Associations across the country. The ARD PGIMER Chandigarh has its full and unconditional support for the cause of nationwide protest against NMC Bill," the organisation said in a press statement.

Calling the Bill "draconian," PGIMER stated that lower house dumped health care and medical education of this country into darkness by approving undemocratic NMC Bill 2019.

08:59 IST

The IMA on its website said that by the passage of the Bill, the Lok Sabha has 'dumped healthcare and medical education of this country into darkness'. "The Lok Sabha has approved and passed the draconian NMC Bill yesterday. The democratic lower house has dumped healthcare and medical education of this country into darkness by approving the undemocratic National Medical Commission Bill 2019. IMA HQ calls for 24 hours withdrawal of non essential services on Wednesday 31.07.2019 in protest,” the association said on its website.

08:56 IST

Doctors went on strike from 6 am on Wednesday which will continue till Thursday morning. All non-essential services have been withdrawn in the strike. The IMA said that some doctors will also be going on hunger strike during the day.