HYDERABAD: With lawyers asking to be exempted from paying toll tax on national highways, doctors too have made a representation seeking the exemption.

The

headquarters in New Delhi wrote to Union minister for road transport and highways

on Wednesday seeking the exemption. In the letter, IMA national president Santanu Sen said the IMA was the only representative voluntary organisation of doctors of modern scientific system of medicine which looks after the interests of doctors and well-being of the community at large. Describing the medical profession as a noble profession, he said all members of IMA should be exempted from paying of toll tax when they show their IMA life membership card.

IMA has more than 3.2 lakh doctors as members in 32 state branches and 1765 local branches. It also complements government programmes like

control programme, anaemia free India,

, child survival and reduction of infant mortalities and has provided expertise and assistance to ensure making healthcare accessible, affordable and worked for qualitative and timely delivery for all.

“Please consider our request too. Cases can be pending in courts for decades but can any patient be kept for a few hours without treatment? The medical profession is the most neglected profession and it has no political lobby,” Dr Jayaprakash Reddy, a doctor from

tweeted to union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday.

It may be mentioned that on December 3, private secretary to union minister for transport and highways, Government of India, Sanket Bhondve in a letter to an advocate R Baskaradoss from Chennai informed him that the union minister had received his letter to exempt advocate from paying toll tax on national highways. “Your letter has been forwarded to the chairman, National Highways Authority of India for taking necessary action,” the advocate was informed in the letter.