Resident doctors in Delhi boycott work; hold marches, raise slogans against NMC bill

Patients in the national capital faced a harrowing time as resident doctors at several government hospitals went on strike and withdrew all services including that at the emergency department to protest against a key legislation that seeks to regulate the medical education sector.

Hundreds of doctors at several government hospitals, including AIIMS, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and LNJP Hospital, boycotted work, held marches and raised slogans to protest against the National Medical Commission Bill which is currently under discussion at Rajya Sabha.

They have also threatened to continue their strike for an indefinite period if the bill is passed.

The bill, which seeks to replace the graft-tainted Medical Council of India (MCI), got the nod of Lok Sabha on July 29.

Protests by resident doctors and undergraduate students of AIIMS and Safdarjung hospitals hit traffic on the stretch of road between Ring Road and Parliament as they tried to march towards Parliament. They were detained