The Tamil Nadu doctors strike ended at the end of the week, following a government warning that their posts would be considered vacated if they did not return to work. The Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) called the strike from October 25th, with a series of demands. They included, according to FOGDA convener Dr […]
doctors
Uttar Pradesh’s quack doctors in the firing line
In the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, quack doctors are in the firing line as a drive to root them out of practice has been announced. “A campaign against quacks and non-permitted clinics, nursing homes and hospitals will be initiated soon,” explained Agra’s chief medical officer Mukesh Kumar Vats. “A joint team of the health […]
Quack doctors crackdown on Mumbai
Authorities in Mumbai will be cracking down on quack doctors operating in the city, following the arrest of five unqualified practitioners earlier this month. “Bogus doctors are a menace to society and a threat to human life,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranay Ashok said following the arrests. “In this major crackdown, the police has busted […]
Quackery: An epidemic in India?
Chennai is on alert against quack doctors, whom officials say vex the city every year during its fever season. The news comes as a reminder of the epidemic of quackery in India: unqualified, unlicensed practitioners account for a staggering proportion of the country’s healthcare workforce. In the past decade, an estimated 1,500 quack doctors have […]
IMA raises concerns over Ayushman Bharat
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has spoken out on the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat, raising some misgivings about the initiative and suggesting improvements. Perhaps the main criticism was the insurance-based model, with IMA national president Dr Santanu Sen questioning “why should it be done through insurance companies by paying fifteen percent to […]
NMC: Centre begins recruitment efforts
The Centre has commenced recruitment efforts for the National Medical Commission (NMC), its major overhaul of the country’s medical education sector. The chairperson of the NMC is required to be a medical professional with at least twenty years of experience in the field and the power to “inspire, engage and empower the medical workforce”, the […]
Supreme Court asks Centre for answers on violence against doctors
Violence against doctors in endemic in India. The Supreme Court is now seeking a government response the issue following an appeal by doctors. The suit was brought by the Tamil Nadu branch of the Association of Healthcare Providers (APHI), which sought from the Centre “immediate and necessary action against the perpetrators indulging in violence against […]
Doctors’ strike in Assam following deadly tea estate assault
A statewide strike has been called in Assam by the state’s Indian Medical Association (IMA) chapter following a fatal assault on a doctor at a tea estate. The 24-hour strike will affect medical services in the state tomorrow, as doctors protest the incident which serves as a reminder of the climate of violence which enshrouds […]
Pune doctors to refuse service to abusive patients
The Pune chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has become the first in the country to refuse to treat abusive patients. The zero-tolerance policy against verbal and physical abuse comes amidst an epidemic of violence against healthcare workers across India. The IMA has suggested that as many as 75 percent of doctors in India […]
Achieving the ideal doctor-patient ratio
India could reach the doctor-patient ratio recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) within the next few years, a member of the Centre’s leading think tank Niti Aayog has said. “With the efforts of the Government of India, the country would be able to achieve the WHO norm of one physician for 1,000 population before […]