IMA against short-term medical degree programme

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 54th State Conference of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which concluded here the other day, decided to take necessary action against the move to implement a short-term three-year medical degree programme, for rural sector, which is under the consideration of the Centre. The conference sought the implementation of the Hospital Protection Bill in the state at the earliest in the wake of doctors and hospitals being subjected to constant attacks. The conference demanded the government to take necessary action to present and approve the Bill in the Assembly. It called for scientific garbage disposal so as to curb epidemics such as chikungunya, dengue fever, rat fever and yellow fever, which are rampant in the state. The IMA conference alleged that the Centre is trying to bring the health sector under the Concurrent List with the help of the Clinical Establishment Act. This will be detrimental to the existing healthcare system and help the corporate giants in the sector to flourish.“Many illegal medical practitioners too crop up in various corners of the state,” the conference pointed out. The IMA had decided to conduct campaign programmes and legal measures against this. At the conference, Dr J Rajagopalan Nair and Dr A V Babu had assumed charge as the president and secretary of the IMA for the year 2011-12.