NMC Bill Protest: MARD calls off strike on humanitarian grounds

Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had passed the NMC Bill which seeks to create National Medical Commission in place of Medical Council of India (MCI) with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan terming it as an "anti-vested interests Bill".

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has called off their strike opposing the NMC Bill, with immediate effect on "humanitarian grounds".

Also read:- NMC Bill Protest: IMA calls off Nationwide Strike due to various reasons

The MARD stated that the decision has been taken by taking into consideration the social responsibilities as doctors due to flood-like situation in various parts of the state including the high alert status of Mumbai secondary to August 15 and abrogation of Article 370.

"We are temporarily calling off our agitation on the humanitarian ground till further notice. All residents will resume their respective duties with immediate effect," a notice dated July 8 undersigned by JJ MARD general secretary Dr Shashank Bhardwaj said.

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Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also deferred its strike opposing the NMC Bill, 2019, for a later date following the demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and sensitive situation embroiled in Jammu and Kashmir.

Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had passed the NMC Bill which seeks to create National Medical Commission in place of Medical Council of India (MCI) with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan terming it as an "anti-vested interests Bill".

Also read:-  Cracks in AIIMS RDA over calling off strike against NMC Bill

It provides for the repeal of the Indian Medical Council Act 1956. The Bill provides that the common final year MBBS exam be known as NEXT which would serve as a licentiate exam for entrance to post-graduate medical courses and as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.