Standing in solidarity against the recent brutal attack on junior doctors at a hospital in West Bengal , doctors from Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital, KEM Hospital and Nair Hospital, among others, struck work on Friday.
Doctors from government medical colleges and hospitals in Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai are participating in the agitation on Friday.
The doctors are protesting against alleged security lapses which resulted in relatives of a patient attacking junior doctors at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on June 11.
A similar attack on three resident doctors in Mumbai's J.J. Hospital last year had affected medical services in the city after a strike was called till the government looked into the matter of security at government hospitals.
Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) president Kalyani Dongre said that resident doctors as well as interns were taking part in the strike. “We are shutting down our Out Patient Department (OPD), wards and academic services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. We will express our protest on our campuses with black ribbons, slogans and street plays. Emergency services, such as casualty wards and operation theatres, will not be hampered,” Dr. Dongre said.
The Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) — that represents over 5,000 medical interns in the State from 21 government medical colleges – and the Municipal Medical Teachers Association, all MCGM Medical, Dental, OT and PT institutions are participating in the strike.
The doctors have demanded deployment of strong and trained security personnel in hospitals for controlling crowds.
“Security at government hospitals across the country needs to be strengthened. The current Central government, including the Health Minister and Defence Minister, should look into the fraternity’s needs. Courts should enforce strong punishment against the culprits so that there will be no incidents like this henceforth,|” ASMI president Hrushikesh Mankar said.
