Doctors in government hospitals across the state struck work on Saturday after one of their colleagues at the Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital in Sanathnagar was attacked by relatives of a patient. The Indian Medical Association, which represents private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, called for a strike on Monday.
This is the third such attack on doctors in the last two weeks and the fraternity has vowed not to withdraw the agitation till the government passed an ordinance providing enough security in hospitals. Junior doctors of the Government Maternity Hospital in Nayapul had launched a stir on Friday after being beaten up by the relatives of a woman who died there.
Ten days before, a mob led by MIM MLA and Mr Afsar Khan, had attacked junior doctors of the Niloufer Hospital, triggering a major strike. On Saturday, relatives of one Mr Ram Naik, 38, who was injured in a mishap, attacked Dr Narasimha Rao of the ESI hospital in Ramachandrapuram for refusing to refer him to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences. Dr Narasimha Rao, an orthopaedic surgeon manning the casualty ward, told Mr Naik’s relatives that he did not have the authority to refer the latter to NIMS.
This provoked the relatives who caught him by the scruff of his neck, beat him and locked him up in a room. Hospital authorities pacified the mob and referred the case to NIMS. Dr Narsimha Rao did not lodge a police complaint, saying he did not want to precipitate the issue. However, as the news of the latest attack spread, doctors in government hospitals across the state went on a lightning strike bringing medical services to a halt.
The doctors attended only to inpatients and emergency cases. They refused to attend to outpatients, causing much distress to thousands of mostly poor people who had come for medical aid. The AP Government Doctors Association held an emergency meeting on Saturday and decided to boycott all medical services including emergency cases at Nayapul hospital from Monday. Doctors will attend only emergency cases in Osmania, Gandhi, Niloufer and ESI hospitals.
“Our strike will continue until the government issues an ordinance,” said Dr D.Ranganath, APGDA general secretary. The Indian Medical Association, which represents private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, also exhorted for a strike from Monday raising similar demands. “This will have more impact since private hospitals treat 80 per cent of the patients,” said IMA leaders, Dr E. Ravindra Reddy and Dr. P. Pulla Rao. “We will treat only inpatients.” IMA will conduct rallies and dharnas throughout the State on Sunday and submit memorandums to the district collectors seeking more security.
“The latest attacks could have been averted if the government had taken effective action after the Niloufer incident,” said the IMA state president, Dr N. Kishore. “The attack on the woman doctor in Nayapul is unprecedented.” He criticised the government for its refusal to take action against MIM leaders though they were behind the attacks.
Meanwhile, in a curious development, the AP Junior Doctors Association was disbanded on Saturday after its leaders developed deep differences regarding the mode of agitation over the recent attacks. Junior doctors working in Osmania and Gandhi Hospitals left for home en masse saying they were worried about their safety. “We can’t serve patients in this situation,” said Dr P. Lokesh of Osmania Hospital.
The government’s efforts to persuade the doctors to call off their strike came to naught. Though the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had ordered that Special Protection Force guards be posted at hospitals, doctors complained that nothing was done. The police has reportedly told the government that it did not have staff to spare. The health minister, Ms Galla Aruna Kumari, said that the government would depute doctors of the Vidya Vidhana Parishad and rural services to tackle the sudden crisis.
CPI-M state secretary, Mr B.V. Raghavulu, has expressed serious concern at the increasing attacks on government doctors. The TD demanded that the government provide necessary infrastructure facilities in all hospitals besides supplying medicines rather than posting police forces.
Leave Your Comments