Doctors across the country, including Udaipur are revolting against the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010, and the proposed National Council for Human Resource in the Health Bill 2011.

Today morning, the members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Udaipur rallied till the Collector’s Office to file a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the District Collector in protest against the adoption of the Clinical Establishment Act in Rajasthan. Doctor’s in Private hospitals also declared a medical strike in support of the protest.

The procession witnessed around 150 doctors from private and government institutes.

According to the proposed Act:

• All the hospitals and clinics should provide standard medical facilities.
• It is mandatory for all clinical establishments to provide medical care and treatment necessary to stabilize any individual who comes or is brought to the clinical establishment in an emergency medical condition, particularly women who come for deliveries and accident cases
• It also makes it for mandatory registration of all clinical establishments, including diagnostic centres and single-doctor clinics across all recognized systems of medicine both in the public and private sector except those run by the Defense forces.
• Every Specialty and Super Specialty Hospital in the state will form a Data Sheet.
• Every Hospital is bound to submit their data of Patients with Communicable Diseases to the Government.
• Defying the Act will lead to an investigation and the hospital will be penalized with Rs. 50 Thousand.

Anand Gupta, Secretary of IMA, Udaipur said, “The act has been brought into consideration in the Vidhan Sabha without any discussion and debates with us.” He added that the act as presented by the government is not in the favor of the patient.

Gupta also informed us about a meeting discussing the Clinical Establishment Act to be held on 1^st July that happens to be Doctor’s Day. He said, “We will be showing a power-point detailed on our view-points on the act.”

The Clinical Establishment Act has already been passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It has also come into force in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim and all Union Territories from March 1, 2012.

Sunil Chug, President, IMA, Udaipur who also runs the Kalpana Nursing Home Pvt Ltd said that, “The bill is a way to harass private institutions by the government.”

A gist of all demands and amends made by the doctors are as follows:

• Reform the Medical Council of India.
• All India PMT Exit Exam should be cancelled.
• Medical Services should not be added to the Consumer Protection Act.
• The Medical Conditions of the Country should be improved. Pay Scales of the doctors should be increased.
• Doctors’ should be able to fix their own consultation fee and nursery home charges.
• Doctor’s should be allowed to run their clinics. Only the registration of the institutions should be made mandatory.
• Students studying MBBS, MD should not have a mandatory Rural Service.