Doctor beaten up, staff won’t work on Monday

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 20

Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has announced a state-wide strike at all public healthcare centres across the state on April 22 to express the cadre’s resentment and anguish at the unfortunate incident that has led to the hospitalisation of Dr Sunil Bhagat, SMO, ESI Hospital, Hoshiarpur. He remains in a critical condition after being manhandled by a patient’s attendants.

OPD services, elective OTs, general medical examinations including examinations for arms and driving licences and dope tests, routine office work and VIP duties will remain suspended on Monday.

However, emergency services, post-mortems and prisoner medical examinations will continue uninterrupted.

Dr Akhil Sareen, state president, PCMSA, said the association reiterates its policy of zero tolerance against incidents of violence against healthcare workers and that it strongly demands the state government to arrange for adequate security arrangements at all public health centres in the state, failing which, the PCMSA will be forced to adopt a path of an intensified course of action when the model code of conduct is lifted.

Dr Sunil Katyal, president, Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab, has strongly condemned the attack on Dr Sunil Bhagat.

The healthcare fraternity appreciated Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh’s timely intervention in this case to get the FIR registered under Section 307 against the accused, personally supervising the treatment given to Dr Sunil Bhagat and providing a green corridor while shifting Dr Bhagat from Hoshiarpur to Ludhiana.

The incident happened when Dr Bhagat stopped a relative of the patient from making a video in the hospital. The relative attacked Dr Bhagat who received grave injuries and was shifted to a private hospital in Hoshiarpur in an unconscious condition. Now, at DMCH, Ludhiana, Dr Sunil Bhagat’s condition remains critical as he fights for his life on a ventilator.

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