IMA against introducing ''Clinical Establishment Bill''

New Delhi, Nov 16 (UNI) The Indian Medical Association (IMA) today said it was opposed to the idea of ''Clinical Establishment Bill,'' as it would make life ''difficult and miserable'' for qualified practitioners and quacks will flourish in rural areas of the country.

Addressing newspersons here, IMA President Dr Ajay Kumar said, ''It is beyond our imagination that the Government is doing nothing against ''fake drugs'' and ''fake doctors'' and only making the life of qualified doctors miserable.'' Dr Kumar said the proposed bill is a direct interference with the State subject, since health is a state matter and every state has its own Regulatory Act for setting up of clinical establishments.

''The proposed bill is being passed in such a way that practitioners in the rural area, delivering health services to the people will not be able to run the show and quacks who need not be registered will rute the roost,'' he said.

Although the Supreme Court has said that no arrest of doctors can be made before a proper investigation, many instances have ocurred all over the country due to lack of information in the local administration, he alleged.

While it is common knowledge that the health delivery system of the country is dominated by the allopathic system of medicine, its representation in the National Regulatory Commission is still dismal.

The Commission has 18 members, out of which the practitioners of modern medicine, are only three, including the Director General of Health Services(DGHS), he said.

UNI