1,200 doctors in Thane join nationwide strike

Around 200 hospitals and 300 clinics in Thane ensured their non-Covid and non-emergency services were shut on Friday until 6pm

More than 1,200 doctors from Thane city joined the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) nationwide shutdown against the Centre’s decision to allow post-graduate Ayurvedic doctors to perform surgeries.

Doctors protest at Court Naka in Thane on Friday as a part of the countrywide IMA strike. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

Around 100 of these protested at Court Naka outside Thane District Collector’s office on Friday morning while all non-emergency services for all clinics, dispensaries, OPDs were closed from 6am to 6pm. Around 200 hospitals and 300 clinics in Thane ensured their non-Covid and non-emergency services were shut on Friday until 6pm.

Dr Santosh Kadam, president, IMA, Thane chapter, said, “We have 1,300 doctors associated with IMA Thane, out of which 1,200 showed solidarity to the protest, while 100 joined the Court Naka protest. These doctors formed small groups and were standing at various locations to maintain social distancing within the vicinity of Court Naka. Moreover, we also submitted their request to withdraw the notification by the Central government to the District Collector on Friday after the protest.”

In a notification published in the Gazette of the Government of India on November 20 by Central Council of Indian Medicine, the body that regulates Ayurveda education, it was declared that Ayurveda graduates with BAMS in their post-graduate education will be given training in 58 surgeries from modern medicine.