The National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) was in Nagpur this Sunday to inaugurate the new team of the IMA Nagpur chapter. In a conversation with TOI, he openly discussed the critical issues facing India’s healthcare sector, calling for urgent government intervention.
Expressing deep concern, he criticized the imposition of GST on healthcare services, labelling it a tax on sickness. “Taxing individuals for being ill is the worst form of exploitation. This ‘misery tax’ on hospital beds needs to be revoked immediately,” he emphasized. He pointed out the excessive GST rates applied to essential medical supplies, life-saving devices, and health insurance, stressing that these costs are directly borne by patients. He argued for a substantial reduction of the GST load on the healthcare sector, highlighting that it adversely affects those who are already suffering.
He also criticized the recent GST implementation on organizations like the IMA, interpreting it as a direct threat to freedom of speech and assembly. According to him, such taxes on membership fees and services offered by groups like the IMA silence their advocacy role in healthcare improvement. He urged for the removal of GST on these fees and services.
The issue of violence against medical professionals was another key point he raised, noting that state-level laws have been ineffective in providing protection. He advocated for a strong, centralized statute to deter violence against healthcare workers and institutions, and suggested designating hospitals and healthcare facilities as “safe zones.”
On the topic of mixopathy, or the combination of different medical systems, he expressed serious safety concerns. He argued that blending various medical traditions can compromise patient safety, likening it to a “cafeteria approach” to healthcare that could lead to negative outcomes. He supported the idea of informed choice, where patients are well-informed about their options across different medical systems and are able to choose the one that best fits their needs. He finished by reinforcing the IMA’s strict opposition to the merging of distinct medical systems.