Kasni promises to address PGIMS doctors’ concerns

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 25

Haryana Director-General (Medical Education and Research) Pradeep Kasni arrived at Rohtak and held marathon meetings with the local DC , SP, University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor, PGIMS authorities as well as representatives of PGIMS resident doctors who have been on strike for the past four days.

Kasni maintained that action would be taken against the striking doctors if they did not end their stir and report back to work. However, at a meeting with representatives of the resident doctors in the evening, he asked them to end their strike and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

However, Kasni remained non-committal on the resident doctors’ main demand for cancellation of the FIR regarding the death of a Jind woman and her newborn baby .

The representatives of resident doctors said they would consult their colleagues and collectively decide whether to call off the strike or not.

Kasni told reporters that a committee having representatives of the PGIMS authorities, resident doctors and the Directorate of Medical Education and Research would be formed to address the concerns pertaining to residency guidelines governing the working hours and other issues.

He also promised the doctors to streamline the media entry and interactions at the PGIMS so that they could perform their duties smoothly. It was also decided to form a coordination committee comprising representatives of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) and the state government to look into the matters pertaining to the UHS and PGIMS.

Earlier, junior consultant doctors at the PGIMS, including Assistant Professors, backed the agitation by the resident doctors.

Meanwhile, patients undergoing treatment at the institute continued to face inconvenience as the doctors’ strike entered the fourth day today.