Doctors call off strike at Safdarjung

Giving in to the demands of the striking doctors, authorities at Safdarjung Hospital and the Union ministry decided to commission a special security for hospitals.

Giving in to the demands of the striking doctors, authorities at Safdarjung Hospital and the Union ministry decided to commission a special security for hospitals.

HT Image

The decision was taken on Wednesday at a meeting of Shakuntala D. Gamlin, joint secretary with the Union health ministry, resident doctors association and N.K. Mohanty, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital.

More than 1,200 junior and residents doctors boycotted work for almost 36 hours, after angry relatives of a dead patient beat up three gynaecologists on Monday night.

This was the third time this year that the hospital's doctors went on strike after patients' attendants manhandled them.

The doctors were demanding replacement of the existing security with more professional Central Industrial Security Force personnel.

"The strike has been called off and the demand of the doctors for adequate security has been met," said Dr. Mohanty. "A plan for raising a security force for government hospitals was given a nod... but will take some time to come up here."

"We have been assured that 500 security guards will man the hospital," said Dr. Pratap Dutta, joint secretary of the hospital's RDA.