New Delhi: Reiterating its demand for creation of an Indian Medical Service (IMS), on the lines of IAS, IPS and IFS, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has said that there is a need for central cadre and “We look upto the government to accept our demand.”
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi undersigned by IMA President Dr Rajan Sharma and Secretary General Dr RV Asokan said, “The aspiration of the medical profession to provide leadership to the enormous challenge before our nation has to be addressed substantially. The need for a central cadre is felt acutely especially by doctors.”
The medical body also raked up the issues of different guidelines being followed in different districts and states and they vouched for “One Nation One Guidelines”.
In the letter, they mentioned, “There is a sense of helplessness with divergent directions in different districts in different states. One Nation One Guidelines has been the voice of IMA. Medical profession deserves to handle medical institutions and the streams considering the uniqueness and complexities involved.”
The doctors’ body also said it could be like a game changer in such trying times.
The IMA further added, “We look upto the government to accept the legitimate demand for the IMS. Apart from giving doctors their well deserved role and responsibility in nation building. It will be the appropriate answer to the current situation and a huge leap into the future. This crisis has shown that when health of the nation is challenged every facet of the country grinds to a halt.”
“The IMS will be responsible for holding the administrative responsibilities pertaining to the district medical officer, project officers of various disease control programmes, and the various ranks of secretaries in the Union health ministry and the state health departments and the heads all other areas in the health sector, IMA national president Dr Rajan Sharma said had said earlier.
The basic qualification to appear for the IMS examination should be MBBS, he said.
“Even though IMA has been enthusiastically working, we request the government of India to emphasize upon the certain major provisions. Meticulously continuing the public health activities of contact-tracing and testing will ensure a minimal morbidity rate,” he said.
“There is an urgent need for a new post-COVID healthcare policy providing equal priority to non-COVID care as well,” Sharma added.
“There is a dire need for the government to increase its GDP allocation to five per cent for the healthcare structure. The IMA also demands for creation of ‘One Nation – One set of guidelines for health’,” Dr R V Asokan, IMA secretary general had said.
