Services in govt hospitals hit as resident doctors go on mass leave

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 23

In a strong disapproval of the Mumbai High Court’s order and then the Maharashtra government’s warning to striking doctors, resident doctors of around 38 hospitals— including centrally managed, ESI, Delhi Government and MCD-run— in the national Capital went on a one-day mass casual leave on Thursday in support of their counterparts in Maharashtra even as those posted at emergencies reported to work.

From tomorrow onwards, doctors in the national Capital have decided to work with black armbands while indicating that the next course of action and whether or not to go on indefinite mass leave will be decided on Saturday based on the decision of Maharashtra government.

This came on a day when KEM Hospital in Mumbai started issuing suspension notices to the striking doctors. Union Health Minister J P Nadda also appealed them to resume their services.

“We are also waiting for the decision of Maharashtra government. Their action will decide our reaction and if required we may have to go on indefinite mass leave after all the RDAs reach a mutual decision by Saturday,” Dr Pankaj Solanki, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) said.

“Resident doctors of Delhi have showed the unity to the nation and for tomorrow let's work in our respective hospitals with black armbands,” he said.

Barring AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital, resident doctors in the national Capital in almost all the hospitals, including Lady Hardinge Medical College, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Lok Nayak, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Deen Dayal Upadhayay, Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra, Maharshi Valmiki, to name a few, stayed off from work leaving the consultants to manage the hospitals’ OPDs and surgeries.

Backing the Indian Medical Association on the issue of ensuring adequate security to doctors at work, the Doctors Forum Society of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) said it endorses the growing concern of safety of doctors from the violence erupting against them on trivial grounds.

“Our hospital expresses solidarity with concerns of IMA and DMA regarding the safety of doctors. General and private OPDs of our hospital will not function tomorrow. The In-patient as well as emergency services will function normally,” said Dr D S Rana, Chairperson of the Board of Management , SGRH.

At AIIMS, the resident doctors refrained from the mass leave in the interest of outpatient patients but continued their symbolic protest wearing helmets on duty.

“We are with our Maharashtra colleagues and are working with helmets in hospital. We are not protesting we are protecting ourselves. They are providing security to cows in India but reluctant to provide safe environment for doctors to work,” said Dr Vijay Gurjar, president of the AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association.