New Delhi, June 25 (IBNS) The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the nationwide strike called by Indian Medical Association (IMA) protesting amendments made to Acts relating to clinical establishment and private practise.
The apex court said it was 'too late' to stay the strike.
However, a bench of justices HL Gokhale and Gyan Sudha Misra said it expects the doctors to refrain from the strike.
"We find force in the submission made by senior counsel MN Krishnamani that the strike would cause serious difficulties to the people. We expect that the doctors would not go on strike," the bench said.
The bench slammed senior counsel TS Dhobia, representing the government, and said: "Why don't you respond. They had earlier made a representation for preventing the strike. You could have acted."
Medical services were hit on Monday with IMA calling for the nationwide strike.
Emergency services however will not be crippled, the protesters assured, even as a host of medical bodies, including Private Nursing Homes Association, State unit of Indian Medical Association and Indian Dental Association, declared support to the call.
The one-day strike also protests the proposed National Commission for Human Resources for Health (NCHRH) Bill 2011 that aims to form a single central regulatory body for all all streams of medical education in the country.
"Private hospitals, consulting chambers, diagnostic centres, clinics, nursing homes will remain closed on June 25," Indian Medical Association s state honorary Secretary Dr SS Agrawal was quoted as saying.
"We will take out a rally and submit a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister to the district collector against the proposed amendments and other moves of the government,” he said adding emergency services will remain unaffected.
