More than 2800 doctors attached to the Coimbatore chapter of the Indian Medical Association stayed off work on Tuesday in protest against the National Medical Commission Bill that was tabled in Parliament on Friday last.

Doctors at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital too joined the protest for an hour in protest against the bill.

The bill proposes to allow practitioners of alternative medicines such as Homeopathy and Ayurveda, practice allopathy after completing a ‘bridge course’. This will lead to corruption and malpractices, said Dr. Karuna, President of Coimbatore Chapter of IMA.

“The Medical Council of India (MCI) has been governing modern medicine, including registration of eligible graduates, recognition to new colleges based on various facilities, curriculum. But the Centre has suddenly introduced the NMC bill, which will eventually lead to the abolishing of MCI and Section 15 of IMC Act, 1956, which states that the basic qualification to practice medicine is MBBS,” she added.

According to Dr. A.K. Ravikumar, Chairman of Private Hospitals Board of IMA (CBE), while MCI had representatives from all over the country, the NCM would have 25 members, out of which 20 would be nominated and the remaining be elected.

“Through NMC, the Government is trying to bring people from other professions like advocates, charted accountants and social activists into the highest body of medical governance. It is also trying to issue licence to everybody requesting to start medical college. It will affect the quality of medical education,” he said.

The IMA members, he said, would intensify their protest if the Government went ahead with its proposal.