The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for one day nationwide medical strike on June 25 to protest against government policies after all methods to convince the government failed.

The central government has come up with stringent rules and regulations regarding space, infrastructure, equipment and para-medical and nursing staff. The government was trying to imitate the health policies of developed rich western nations and wants to implement Chemical Estalishment Act, IMA State President Milind Naik, told a press conference, here yesterday.

He said the Union Government has decided to introduce a short three-year-course of modern medicine called Bachelor of Rural Health and Care (BRHC) exclusively to serve the rural polulation against the backdrop of unavailability of doctors for rural population.

There are other better ways to overcome the shortage of modern medicine professionals in rural areas and lowering of standard of medical education and thereby producing low quality professionals is not a solution, Naik said.

Doctors not going to villages is the problem of governance and adequate allowences and other perks like free accomodation, education allowance to children, transport allowances and interest free loan should be provided to doctors serving in rural areas, the IMA felt.

IMA has also opposed the national exit examination for doctors even after passing the respective university examination. This should be certainly applied to those international medical graduates and those from unrecognsied Indian Universities, Naik added.