Resident doctors of Sawai Man Singh (SMS), along with various other government medical colleges will be on strike from Tuesday to show support for their colleagues in Bikaner. The resident doctors of Bikaner are on strike after they were manhandled allegedly by attendants of a patient, who died in the hospital four days ago.
The resident doctors of government medical college in Ajmer have already joined the protest and they went on strike on Monday.
Besides, All Rajasthan In Service Doctors Association (ARISDA) also extended their support. ARISDA organizing secretary Dr Ajay Choudhary said, “The doctors cannot work in this situation when they are attacked and manhandled. We are in support of the resident doctors.”
Health and medical care facilities in PBM Hospital Bikaner were disrupted badly due to the strike. The situation worsened when senior doctors also boycotted work for two hours in support of the strike of resident doctors. Operations and routine check-up in wards was affected. Patients are being asked to come for check-up and operations after 4-5 days.
Resident doctors are on strike in support of their demand to take stern action, including arrest of those who were involved in manhandling the resident doctors in casualty ward. On the other hand, local political leaders have formed a ‘PBM Hospital Bachao Samiti’ and have launched agitation against the hospital authorities for their inaction in maintaining medical and healthcare facilities in the hospital.
The Samiti also called for half-day bandh in Bikaner on Sunday, which passed off peacefully. No party is ready to compromise. The attendants of the patient alleged that their patient died as doctors did not attend him properly.
Now, the resident doctors of SMS hospital will go on strike from 8 am on Tuesday. “We are against any kind of violence against doctors, so we have decided to go on strike, until the accused in Bikaner are arrested,” said Dr Surendra Bhakal, the secretary of Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors.
However, the hospital administration has started making alternate arrangements so that the strike of resident doctors will make minimum impact on the healthcare facilities in the hospital. “There are over 250 resident doctors in the SMS hospital. So, we have asked all the head of the department to make alternate arrangements so that healthcare facilities will not be affected much. Moreover, medical officers in the hospital will take care of emergency services,” SMS hospital additional superintendent Ajeet Singh said.
src: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-18/jaipur/42181587_1_jaipur-association-resident-doctors-sms-hospital