IMA Satyagraha Postponed : Centre gives assurance that doctors demands will be ‘studied & implemented’
The Indian Medical Association has postponed its ‘Satyagraha’ scheduled for November 16, after receiving assurance from the Centre that its demands will be studied and implemented.
The IMA had asked its members to keep their clinics closed on Monday morning (Nov 16) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as a part of its National Protest Day that included demands for –
1. Better doctor protection by introducing a central act to prevent violence against doctors.
2. Capping the compensation in medico-legal cases.
3. Amendment of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.
4.Increasing budgetary allocation for health to 5% of GDP.
5. Prescription drugs (scheduled H,H1,X) cannot be written by non MBBS doctors
6. Provision of affordable drugs and primary health services for patients.
“We have decided to postpone the ‘Satyagraha’ by six weeks to give time to the government to act,” said IMA Maharashtra secretary Dr Jayesh Lele. With the Central government promising to look at the above demands of the IMA, come December 24th (6 week mark) all eyes will be on the Government and the Health Ministry as to how best they will handle these demands.
