Activities

MFC members are spread out across the country and engaged in a range of activities. Quite a few are part of rural or urban service delivery strengthening initiatives concerned with community health and development. Some are in part-time or full-time private medical practice, others are serving in government hospitals or primary health centres. Some are teaching or studying in medical colleges, and others are involved in research and policy analysis in disciplines like public health, health economics, health administration and in health worker training.

The MFC Bulletin

(first published in 1975) has been the main medium through which we communicate experiences, ideas and information and stay in touch with each other. It carries articles which usually represent varying points of view of our membership within the broad MFC perspective. There are reports on relevant events and developments relating to health and health care. Importance is given to letters from members, either spontaneous or in response to articles.

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Special Cells

Have been formed from time to time in response to the specific need felt by MFC members for indepth discussion and interaction, such as the Primary Health Care Cell, Rational Drug Policy Cell and Women and Health Cell were formed in the early 1990s.

We organize an Annual MFC Meet

usually focusing upon a particular theme or issue such as the role of doctors in society, misuse of drugs by doctors, medical education, child survival, medical technology, under-nutrition, community health workers, bias against women in medical care, tuberculosis and society, family planning, right to health care, quality of health care, public health education.

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Collective Action

Has been occasionally undertaken to study or act on a certain problem such as, a lathyrism survey in Rewa District, a study of health effects of the Bhopal Gas Leak, a pregnancy outcome study in Bhopal nine months after exposure to the toxic gas, mobilization and legal action with women’s groups in the campaign against hazardous hormonal contraceptives, technical support to the health activities of voluntary agencies and action groups among the Bhopal gas victims, mobilization and legal action on the issue of drug pricing and patent policies. MFC has been an active founder member of the All India Drug Action Network.

From time to time, mfc members have taken up collective

activities usually to study or act on a certain problem such as,

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Lathyrism survey in Rewa District, MP

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With women’s groups, campaign against hazardous hormonal contraceptives

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Study of health effects of the Bhopal Gas Leak, March 1985

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Support of the International Medical Commission on Bhopal, 1994

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Mobilization and legal action on the issue of drug pricing and patent policies

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Pregnancy outcome study in Bhopal nine months after exposure to the toxic gas

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Technical support to the health activities of voluntary agencies and action groups among the Bhopal gas victims

As individuals, MFC members are spread out and involved at their local levels in various capacities. Quite a few of us are part of rural or urban projects, or initiatives concerned with community health and development . Some of us are in part-time or full-time private medical practice. Others among us are teaching or studying in medical colleges, some are serving in government hospitals or primary health centres, and some are involved in disciplines like health economics or administration and in health worker training.

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MFC has been an active founder member of the All India Drug Action Network. In 1980, a Rational Drug Policy Cell was formed in MFC to contribute to the campaign for a Rational Drug Policy through the AIDAN.

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To respond to the specific interests and needs of MFC members and for indepth discussion and interaction on specific topics, the Primary Health Care Cell and Women and Health Cell were formed in the early 1990s.

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In an attempt to consolidate regional groups for more frequent and intensive interaction or to initiate collective action at local level, attempts have been made to form region-based groups in Calcutta, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

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The Bombay MFC has been consistently active since 1990 on issues such as medical malpractice, human rights in health, regulation of private practice and improvement of public health services.