Agenda for a resurgent IMA Bihar-The Honorary State Secretary General’s Resolve

Appreciation
I appreciate the warmth and trust that the medical fraternity has deposed in me in choosing as the secretary of the Bihar Unit of the Indian Association (IMA) its Bihar unit has a glorious history .Many of the stalwarts have done pride to those matters its medical professional body by their Dynamic leadership and professional acumen.It would be difficult to equal their status and contribution.However,I would like to thank all of youfor having encouraged take on this onerous responsibility.In all humility I accept this and also the challenge attached to this.

The challenge

IMA has been the professional body with a difference.While on the one hand it has proved its worth in tackling professional challenges on the other it has faced several onslaughts of the state in a dignified way. The challenges that bemoan all of us can be described as those:

1. A rising out of the inconsistent state policies including stifling laws to restrict our autonomy and freedom
2. Professional integrity to serve the humanity with commitment and sense of service which has been the hall mark of the medical fraternity.

The resolve

I would like to share my resolve for taking IMA to a resounding height as what follows:

1. There has been a systematic move of the state to demoralizing the medical fraternity.The medical services has been put under category B which is not Acceptable to us.While globalization and entry ofMNCs in to medical profession has created a big hiatus we feel demoralized to be put under an inferior category.This is demoralizing and we must resolve to fight this inconsistency,

2. The promotional avenues for us have been curtailed and salary disparities and incongruent and absence of perks have been allowed to grow by the government.All of us know that while we are promoted to a higher category we are offered a salary which is one grade lower .This cosmetic promotion reflects serious lack of sensitivity on the part of the government which is also very demoralizing to us.We must resolve to fight against this .

3. To compound the problem,the government is bringing the draconian provision under the ambit of the proposed Nursing Home Establishment Act.This is strange Act which has provisions to fix the consultancy fee of the medical practitioners.This is a clear discrimination as one of the professional bodies have ever had this kind of restriction.We do not agree with the provisions of the Act.

Doctors in the state are faced with a peculiar situation.There is growing public demand for quality services. Our hospitals and PHCs are deprived of the modem technologies and infrastructure support. The Hospital Administration is hard pressed to respond to the growing public need and is always at the receiving end ofmthe public as well as the state bureaucracy.We must bring out the realities and inform the public about the consistencies and also lobby with the government to provide the modem facilities.

Introduction of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has put challenges as well as opportunities . There is scope for undertaking innovative research and development activities at various levels.There is also an opportunity for broad.

Basing the health services using the community support . The ASHA cadre could be an important and effective tool for reaching the un-reached.We must prove that we are socially responsible and sensitive to the cause of poor.We resolve to make the PHCs vibrant centers of hope where the suffering millions display disenchanting smile.We shall soon try to take out a vision document about how the rural health services could be improved and made people friendly.The government must be impressed upon to share our concern with equal sensitivity.

There is lot of public private partnership (PPP) in different spheres of our social life.The health sector in Bihar is still missing this aspect except a few cosmetic announcements.We shall lobby for this partnership and try to strengthen and consolidate.

Arun Kumar Thakur Patna
Hon. State Secretary The 22 nd of May,
IMA-Bihar 2007