Resident docs to go on mass leave today

Tribune news Service

New Delhi, March 22

Over 20,000 resident doctors of government hospitals in the national Capital will go on casual leave en masse tomorrow in support of their counterparts in Maharashtra who are on strike.

Residents doctors from around 40 government hospitals, including AIIMS, RML, Safdarjung, city government run hospitals Lok Nayak, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Municpal Corporation of Delhi hospital Bara Hindu Rao will go on mass leave, but those on emergency duty will work.

"The decision has been taken in view of increasing incidents of assaults on doctors and also to show solidarity towards our colleagues in Maharashtra. We also condemn the action taken by Maharashtra government against the doctors," Dr Pankaj Solanki, president of The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) said.

FORDA is an umbrella body of all residents doctors in Delhi. 

AIIMS doctors wear helmets on duty!

Coming out in support of their counterparts in Maharashtra government hospitals, resident doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) were seen wearing “helmets” while working in the emergency on Wednesday in solidarity with the demands of “adequate security provisions” for doctors at the state hospitals.

Condemning the Maharashtra government’s ultimatum for reporting back to work or face six months’ pay cut, AIIMS Resident Doctors Association president Dr Vijay Gurjar said, “Government instead of providing security to resident doctors at their workplace is threatening them to deduct salary and throwing them out of their hostels. We resident doctors of AIIMS are forced to work with helmets in emergency as we don't want to lose our vision and life as well as our hard-earned degrees.”

“It is very unfortunate that the High Court (Mumbai) instead of directing the government to provide security has asked to terminate doctors' services. We are in support of our colleagues of Maharashtra. Prevention is better than cure and nobody is having sympathy for the resident doctors who were brutally beaten up, no discussion on compensation but harsh steps are being taken,” said Dr Gurjar while adding that such “apathy” of the government and insecurities will only will discourage young people from opting for medical profession.

This came on a day when the Maharashtra government warned the agitating doctors with a pay cut if they fail to join work by 8 pm a day after the Mumbai High Court pulled up the doctors asking them to join duties saying the government was free to act in case they refuse.

On Sunday night, resident doctors in many places of the state proceeded on mass leave demanding proper security arrangements in view of the recent spate of attacks on resident doctors.