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Goa doctors call off planned strike after meet with CM, expect official apology
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant visited the hospital and agreed with a list of demands, including a protocol to curb VIP culture at the state’s apex medical facility
PANAJI: The doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, who were protesting against the alleged high-handed behaviour by the state’s health minister Vishwajti Rane, on Tuesday decided to call off their planned strike after chief minister Pramod Sawant visited the hospital and agreed with a list of demands, including a protocol to curb “VIP culture” at the state’s apex medical facility.
The doctors’ demand for an in-person apology at the location where the original humiliation took place was not agreed upon. However, the doctors said they are looking forward to a formal apology officially communicated to them from the minister.
“They placed seven demands before me and after discussing the matter in detail, we have agreed to fulfil all the seven demands including not allowing videography and photography (in patient care areas), to appoint a police sub inspector at the police outpost at GMC and deploy additional police force,” Sawant said.
“They also had a demand that the incident that took place should never happen again and there should be a vigilance committee headed by the health secretary and having the dean of Goa Medical College, the MS of the college and the HOD of that department concerned as members. They wanted protocol to be followed,” Sawant said.
“Considering all this and honouring my word, GARD doctors and faculty doctors, consultants and others after meeting me, decided to call off their strike in the interest of the people of Goa and the Goa Medical College and I thank them for that,” he added.
On Sunday, Rane, who was on a surprise visit to the Hospital, gave an on duty doctor a dressing down in full view of a rolling camera belonging to a cameraman who was accompanying him, asking him to “learn to control his tongue” and directing staff to “kick him out from here”.
Speaking alongside the chief minister, Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar, a faculty doctor, said: “One of the main issues was the apology that was due from the health minister at the hospital. But on the other hand, the issue was that how can an officer of the government demand an apology from the health minister. I can say that no government officer has the right to call a minister here to apologise. The health minister has apologised via social media, and that is fine, but we are awaiting a formal apology to be communicated to us.”
“The doctor (Dr Rudresh Kuttikar) had called for an apology not to himself but to the profession and the chair he represents. The minister sat on a chair he was not supposed to sit on and did what he did by sitting on the chair,” he added.
During the meeting with the chief minister, doctors brought that very chair and in front of the chief minister, they pledged that they would not allow it to be insulted.
The Goa Association of Resident Doctors said they were calling off the planned strike “because the people of Goa should not suffer.”
