IMA Mission Pink Health launched

This mission will incorporate Aao School Chale, Aao Gaon Chale, Anemia-free India, Welcome the Girl Child, and Adolescent health

New Delhi, December 31, 2017: The Annual Central Council Meeting of the IMA was held in Mumbai on the 28^th of December 2017. The event saw the swearing in of Dr Ravi Wankhedkar as the National President of the IMA for the year 2018. IMA Mission Pink Health was also launched during the event, which went on to address various issues plaguing the medical profession today including the recently approved National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill and the need for professional autonomy.

Installing Dr Ravi Wankhedkar as the new National President IMA, immediate Past President of World Medical Association, Dr Ketan Desai, said, “The medical profession is facing the toughest challenge today and the time has come for everyone to introspect.” Delivering the second IMA Founder’s Day Oration, he said that doctors are different and cannot compare themselves with other professions. They need to be transparent and honest.

Dr KK Aggarwal, Padma Shri Awardee, who delivered the 1st Dr Ketan Desai Medical Statesman of the Highest Order Oration said, “Every doctor needs to file his or her financial return every year and that should include all types of wealth as mentioned in mythology under the head ‘ashta lakshmi’. These are ‘Adi Lakshmi: net return’, ‘Dhana Lakshmi: the monetary gains’, ‘Dhanya Lakshmi: agriculture health’, Dhairya Lakshmi: courage’, ‘Santana Lakshmi: new projects’, ‘Vijaya Lakshmi: the achievements’, Gaja Lakshmi: the HR strength’, and ‘Vidya Lakshmi: the gain in knowledge’. Monetary gain is only one of the eight wealth parameters.”

Dr Aggarwal also raised concerns on the incoming NMC Bill, which will take away the autonomy of the medical profession. Regulators need to have autonomy and be independent of the administrators. The NMC will be a regulator appointed by the administrators under their direct control.

Giving the first Late Dr VCV Pillai oration, Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, who also took over as the 89th National President of IMA, said, “My focus will be on community and public health education. A major emphasis will be on Mission Pink Health which will incorporate Aao School Chale, Aao Gaon Chale, Anemia-free India, Welcome the girl child, and Adolescent health.”

Dr R N Tandon, Honorary Secretary General, IMA, said,” Jiska Koi Nahi Uska IMA is the time-tested slogan of IMA. IMA members thus have the task of guiding everyone irrespective of their financial status.”

The IMA has added the following in the last one year.

New medical emblem for doctors to differentiate MBBS doctors from non-MBBS doctors
IMA self-regulation code
A one-day educational event on TB with over 1000 doctors in March 2018
IMA policy on preventing antibiotic resistance
IMA restoration guidelines
IMA declaration of pollution as public health emergency
IMA policy on writing NLEM drugs and capping the prices of non-NLEM items
New guidelines on criminal prosecution of doctors
IMA no incentive policy (no cuts, no commissions, no referral fee without service)
IMA accreditation of clinics, less than 50-bedded medical establishments and educational programmes
Aao School Chalen on 5th of every month
IMA One Drug-One Price-One Company policy