Aligarh , Emergency medical services were severely affected here due to a strike by resident doctors of the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of Aligarh Muslim University over an alleged assault on a female colleague, officials said on Friday.
The strike began on Thursday afternoon after a female patient allegedly assaulted a resident doctor, apparently angered by delays in medical investigation due to heavy rush.
Resident Doctors Association vice president Dr Akhtar Ali said there had been a spate of such incidents, raising serious safety concerns among doctors.
"We are feeling very insecure. After a similar incident recently, we were assured by the AMU and district authorities that a mobile police team and around 200 security personnel, including women staff, would be deployed at the hospital, but nothing has been done," he told reporters.
He also alleged that police was late in responding to the assault complaint.
AMU Proctor Naved Khan rubbished the allegation, saying an FIR was promptly registered at the Civil Lines Police Station against the patient and her husband.
Khan acknowledged that the university has been facing a shortage of security personnel on the campus due to a freeze on recruitment owing to financial constraints.
{{/usCountry}}Khan acknowledged that the university has been facing a shortage of security personnel on the campus due to a freeze on recruitment owing to financial constraints.
{{/usCountry}}He also admitted a lack of adequate female security staff, noting that many recent incidents involved female patients or attendants.
A meeting between senior AMU officials and RDA representatives is currently underway to resolve the issue and end the strike.
A university official said authorities assured doctors that their concerns regarding security will be addressed.
He added that, pending recruitment, personnel from other departments would be deployed at sensitive locations in the medical college.
Meanwhile, a junior doctor, requesting anonymity, said such incidents are increasing due to crowding and inadequate facilities in government hospitals, which cater largely to economically weaker sections.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.