IMA Kerala objects National Medical Commission's logo depicting Hindu deity
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Kerala has slammed the National Medical Commission (NMC) for redesigning its logo, which featured a Hindu deity, Dhanwantari, and the word "Bharat" instead of "India." In a statement condemning the new logo, IMA Kerala said that it's not acceptable to the modern medical fraternity. It also stated that the new logo gives the wrong message, harming the secular and scientific nature of the NMC.
You can read IMA Kerala's full statement here
Here's what IMA Kerala president said about new NMC logo
The IMA Kerala President Dr. Sulphi Noohu also took to Facebook and condemned the new NMC logo. Noohu stated that any attempt to convey caste and religious thoughts into this field is not acceptable at all, adding that the IMA's policy is to see all castes and groups equally. "In political neutrality and religious neutrality, there is no backwardness," he added.
NMC spokesperson clarifies new logo
Amid the uproar, NMC Spokesperson Dr. Yogendra Malik came out defending the new logo, stating that it has been there for the past year. "The logo earlier has a Greek God of medicine and healthcare in it, and the logo that you see in the present has an image of Lord Dhanvantri, which was already there; it has just been colored," stated Malik
IMA rejected request to wear long-sleeve jackets in operation theaters
Earlier in June, the IMA's Kerala division rejected a group of female Muslim MBBS students' request to wear long-sleeve scrub jackets and surgical hoods in operation theaters. Noohu stated that a patient is the most significant individual in hospitals and operation theaters, and the existing globally accepted protocol should be followed there to ensure their safety.