SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 28: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Jharkhand chapter will hold a critical executive committee meeting in Dhanbad on Sunday, March 2. The meeting will address several pressing issues related to the medical profession in the state.

Key Issues to be Discussed
IMA state president Dr. AK Singh and secretary Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh announced that the meeting will focus on the pending implementation of the Medical Protection Act (MPA), amendments to the Clinical Protection Act, and the exodus of doctors from Jharkhand.

As this will be the first executive meeting since the formation of the new state government, all branch presidents, secretaries, and executive committee members from 24 districts have been asked to attend.
Reports and Participation from IMA Members
In addition to district members, all chairpersons and secretaries of the different wings of IMA Jharkhand have been instructed to present reports on their activities and the organization’s needs during the meeting.
Dr. Singh and Dr. Kumar also pointed out that almost all states in India have amended their Clinical Protection Acts, with Bihar’s government recently exempting 40-bed hospitals from the Act’s restrictions. However, Jharkhand has yet to take any action.

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Concerns Over Doctor Exodus and Medical College Challenges
Dr. Singh expressed concern over the resignation of nearly 700 out of the 1,000 doctors appointed by the state government, which has contributed to a significant shortage.
“The state government is not providing adequate facilities for medicos, and as a result, doctors do not want to live in Jharkhand,” he said.

Furthermore, the newly established medical colleges in the state face the risk of de-recognition by the National Medical Commission (NMC) due to a lack of faculty and doctors. Despite numerous meetings with the health department, the IMA leaders noted that the government has yet to take concrete action.
“The National Medical Commission (NMC) de-recognition threat looms over the newly established medical colleges in the state due to a shortage of faculty members and doctors. However, the government has yet to take any concrete steps to address this issue, offering only repeated assurances to doctors’ bodies,” said the IMA president and secretary.
Invitation to JSHSA Office Bearers
The newly elected office bearers of the Jharkhand State Health Services Association (JSHSA) have also been invited to the meeting. The meeting will be held at the Dhanbad Club, starting at 11:30 AM.