At the 98th national conference of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Kovalam on Thursday, Punalur-born doctor R V Asokan assumed the role of national president. Having previously held positions as national secretary, state unit president, and secretary within the IMA, Dr. Asokan brings a wealth of experience to the position. His appointment to the position of national president represents a substantial advancement in his ongoing state and national contributions to the IMA.
Drs. Ashok Sharda (Rajasthan), Suresh Gutta (Telangana), Shivakumar Uttare (Maharashtra), and Gunasekaran (Tamil Nadu) are the newly elected national vice-presidents of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The national general secretary is the recently appointed Anil Kumar Nayak from Gujarat.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan voiced his concern about the tragic incident of a woman doctor losing her life in the state during the induction ceremony of the IMA national office-bearers. It is unfortunate that it took such a tragic incident for comprehensive legislation guaranteeing the safety of healthcare workers to be implemented, he said. As the ceremony’s chief guest, the minister spoke and stressed the significance of preserving the quality of healthcare.
Dr. R V Asokan, the recently elected national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has stated his intention to organize physicians for the approaching parliamentary election. His primary goal is to inform candidates about important public health issues.
Dr. Asokan plans to provide members at the state and branch levels with leadership training in order to put this strategy into action. He voices concerns about a number of the Central government’s policy proposals, specifically the service-insurance model that Niti Aayog has proposed. Given its possible effects on the nation’s insurance and healthcare systems, this model is probably being closely examined. Dr. Asokan’s focus on educating potential candidates highlights the IMA’s dedication to influencing healthcare laws and fighting for the rights of both medical practitioners and the general public
The Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) national president, Dr. R V Asokan, voiced concerns regarding a number of the Niti Aayog’s recommendations. In particular, he draws attention to concerns regarding the privacy of patient data, the integration of medical systems, the service-insurance model, and possible changes to the secular nature of medicine.
The service-insurance model of Niti Aayog is criticized by Dr. Asokan, who believes it is unsuitable for India. He contends that if this American model were adopted, about 90 crore people, or 900 million, would need to buy health insurance, creating serious implementation challenges.
The government’s plan to combine different medical systems, such as modern medicine and traditional Indian medicine, is also opposed by the IMA. Dr. Asokan supports giving patients the freedom to select the healthcare provider of their choice.
Dr. Asokan emphasizes the current status of patient data ownership, pointing out that only a court can grant permission for the data to be released to relevant parties. The data is owned by the hospital as well as the patient. He draws attention to the stringent privacy regulations in place, which prohibit even a husband from requesting his wife’s data. He does, however, voice reservations regarding the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which calls for the uploading of all clinical data from all hospitals, possibly without sufficient legal protection.
Concerns regarding patient privacy are raised by Dr. Asokan because of the clause that permits data to be sold to insurance providers and the pharmaceutical industry. In this context, he highlights the importance of fortifying the quality of consent.
Dr. Asokan also intends to discuss efforts to change the medical profession’s secular character. He uses the National Medical Commission’s new logo modification as an illustration. This shows that, despite possible changes and obstacles, he is committed to defending the fundamental beliefs and ideals of the medical profession.
