Resident doctors continue strike for third consecutive day against NMC Bill, emergency services resume

New Delhi: The resident doctors at various government hospitals in the national capital will continue their strike for the third consecutive day on Saturday, intensifying their protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill. However, the emergency services were resumed, after thousands of patients had to face the brunt of the strike. The resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS will continue their indefinite strike.

The Association of Resident Doctors of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (ARD PGI), Chandigarh on Friday said that all services except Emergency and ICU will be withdrawn from Saturday for an indefinite period. Several doctors and medical students from across the country continued to protest against the NMC Bill which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. On July 29, the Lok Sabha had passed the Bill

The resident doctors protested against the Faculty Association of All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) alleging that they are not taking a stand on the NMC Bill. 

The Bill 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" which will be remembered as one of the greatest reforms brought by the Modi government. 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 National Exit Test (NEXT) which would serve as a licentiate exam for entrance to post-graduate medical courses and as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.