Patients suffer as Rohtak PGIMS resident docs continue protest

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 23

Patients undergoing treatment at the local PGIMS were put to inconvenience as the resident doctors continued their strike for the second day today.

The resident doctors are protesting against an FIR that was lodged in a matter pertaining to the death of a Jind woman and her newborn child at the hospital, allegedly due to manhandling by doctors and other staff.

Though the strike could not assume the form of a concerted agitation due to the PGIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) lying non-functional, but the health services at the institute were badly hit due to the doctors’ stir.

The PGIMS officiating director, Dr KB Gupta, said the state authorities had been informed of the situation and efforts were being made to resolve the crisis.

“The OPD as well as emergency services functioned as usual today. Senior faculty members and consultants rendered their services. We are also trying to convince the resident doctors to end their strike in the larger interest of the patients,” he maintained.

On the other hand, sources said the state authorities have sought a list of striking doctors from the PGIMS administration, and a list containing the names of some doctors has been submitted to them, though the director denied any such development.

Meanwhile, as the news regarding the resident doctors’ strike spread, a lesser number of patients visited the PGIMS today as compared to normal days, giving some breathing space to the authorities.

Jind resident, Neelam, and her newborn child died at the PGIMS on May 18. The woman’s family members alleged she died due to negligence and manhandling by doctors and other staffers, but the doctors as well as PGIMS authorities maintained the child was stillborn, while the woman died due to her critical health condition.

A three-member inquiry committee constituted to inquire into the matter has sent its report to the state government. The doctors decided to strike work and lodged a protest after an FIR was lodged in the case on the direction of Health Minister Anil Vij.