Punjab: 10,000 doctors observe Medical Bandh against Clinical Establishment ordinance

The protesting doctors demanded rollback of the Punjab Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Ordinance, 2020, terming the ordinance "anti-doctor" and "anti-public", and claimed the government was trying to control the private healthcare sector with this.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that intensifying its frontline battle against Covid-19, the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab had notified an ordinance to bring private clinical establishments into the ambit of its fight against the pandemic.

The notification, under subsection (3) of section 1 of the Punjab Clinical Establishments (Registration & Regulation) Ordinance, 2020, brings all clinical establishments having capacity of more than 50 beds under the provisions of the ordinance. He said the ordinance would provide a mechanism for registration and regulation of clinical establishments in a professional manner, to ensure compliance of minimum standards of facilities and services, as well as transparency in the functioning of these establishments for fair and proper delivery of health services to the common man.

Read Also: Punjab notifies act to bring private hospitals with 50 beds and more into ambit of coronavirus battle

IMA demanded that CEA should not be applied for Punjab health care and declared that it will observe a medical bandh in protest.

Read Also: Punjab: IMA to observe medical Bandh in protest against Clinical Establishment Act

Now, shutting down the clinics and private hospital, over 10,000 doctors participated in the protest. The agitating doctors said there was no need for this law as they were already regulated by the Punjab Medical Council and other laws.

"Around 10,000 doctors in Punjab observed complete bandh in the state. All facilities are closed," Rakesh Wig, chairman of the joint action committee of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab branch informed PTI

"What was the compulsion of bringing this law? On one side, we are helping the state government in fighting COVID -19 and on the other hand, it is bringing such a law," said Wig.

The doctors further claimed that with this law, there would be unnecessary interference of the government in private hospitals. "The government wants to control us by proxy," one of them said. "This law will promote ''Inspector Raj'' and corruption," Wig added.

The protesters also said treatment costs would go up with the implementation of this law.

They claimed that they catered to 70 per cent of the state's population.

Instead of imposing such a law, the government should focus on improving healthcare facilities in government-owned hospitals, the doctors said, demanding the ordinance be rolled back.

Dr Paramjit Mann, general secretary, IMA, Punjab stated that the new regulation was brought in a hurry without taking IMA Punjab, the biggest stakeholder, into confidence. "We had submitted memorandums to the government through elected representatives and deputy commissioners demanding immediate withdrawal but the government ignored our demands. It seems that the government has become insensitive and is least bothered about the health of people," said Dr Mann.

While defending the decision to go on strike amidst Covid-19 outbreak, Dr Mann said, "In such a situation we were left with no alternative than to shut down our hospitals to wake the government out of deep slumber. Even if now the government fails to meet our genuine demands, we will be forced to escalate the agitation which we are not in favour of due to the Corona pandemic."

Under pressure to resolve the issues, the state government has reached out to IMA and Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh will hold a meeting with them on June 26, reports TOI