Patna: The Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) has asked the health department not to engage doctors of the state-run hospitals in training of quacks, also known as rural health practitioners, due to shortage of doctors in government health facilities.

The training programme for rural health practitioners being conducted by the state health department in collaboration with National Institute of Open Schooling aims at training them in the basic medical aid so that they act as community health workers in rural areas where health facilities are not easily accessible.

"The training is being conducted by doctors in government health facilities, including primary health centres, first referral units among others. There is already a paucity of doctors in government hospitals. If they are involved in training quacks, the institutional services of the health facilities, including the national health-related programme would get affected because doctors would spend their valuable time in teaching quacks," said general secretary of BHSA Dr Ranjit Kumar, who said BHSA had shot off a letter regarding this to the principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar.

Strike on July 28

Members of the state chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) will observe a token strike on July 28 from 6am to 6pm in support of the national IMA protest against the National Medical Commission Bill. The state IMA members will not provide services in the outpatient department but won't hamper emergency services of state-run hospitals.