Nearly 25,000 allopathic doctors across the country will organise a mega rally in Delhi to protest against the Central government’s proposed NMC Bill. The National Medical Council (NMC) Bill proposes to dissolve the existing Medical Council of India (MCI) that monitors medical education and research in all states.

While speaking to reporters in the city today Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, national president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), largest platform of registered allopathic doctors in the country, said, “Medical profession in India is going through a turbulent phase.

Many issues are affecting medical fraternity and also health care services. NMC Bill, one of the main issues, has the potential to adversely change the character of medical education and healthcare delivery in the country.”

“An irreparable damage may occur in the public healthcare because the Bill will promote the ayush and quackery instead of modern medicine in our state.

“This anti-people Bill will make medical education expensive,” Dr Wankhedkar alleged. “A mahapanchayat of doctors has been called on 25 March in Delhi where around 25000 doctors across the country will assemble to raise their voice against the NMC Bill,”he said.

Dr Tapan Kumar Das, president of IMA (Bengal chapter) and Dr Santanu Sen, IMA state secretary, said NMC is pro-private management Bill paving way for widespread corruption.

It removes all regulations required for opening private medical colleges in the country. Following the proposed Bill any private medical college can increase the number of seats in the undergraduate MBBS and post graduate MD/MS courses by itself without any necessary clearance of the proposed NMC.

The office bearers of the IMA felt there would be major setback for the medical education saying the government would be able to regulate only 40 percent seats in private medical colleges and the rest 60 percent berths would be controlled by these institutes.

The unscientific mixing of ayush system with allopathic will endanger the life of patients.

The proposed Bill provides separate registration and bridge courses for Ayush practitioners to enable them to prescribe allopathic medicines.

Earlier in the day IMA brought out a huge rally of more than 500 four wheelers and motorbikes from airport to Park Circus as a token protest against the NMC.