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Pune doctors, hospitals participate in nationwide strike
Protestors working at 200 hospitals in the city did not stop emergency medical services.
At least 200 hospitals in the city shut down their OPDs (out patient department) while continuing with emergency services in solidarity with the protesting doctors in Kolkata, who have been demanding better protection from assaults by patients of relatives.
No untoward incident was reported in the city as emergency medical services were exempted from the protest.
Doctors at the Ruby Hall Clinic, one of the largest hospitals in the city, sat out in the corridor of the cancer centre wearing black bands even as the OPD was shut for the day. The OPD at Jehangir Hospital and Jehangir Specialty Hospital run by consultants/doctors was also shut from 8am to 8pm to show support towards their striking counterparts across the country. The emergency services were, however, kept open.
Dr Sanjay Patil, president Indian Medical Association (IMA, Pune chapter) said that the response to the protest was substantial. “We all wore black bands to show our protest and kept OPDs and clinics closed as a sign of support to the resident doctors’ case. Despite being on strike, about 200 to 300 emergency services for gynaecology, cardiac and foreign bodies were attended to. We had a very spontaneous response and we have demanded that there should be punishment for the culprits. The security lapse should be inquired into as well as there should be a Central Act in place.”
Dr Patil said that while there was a legislation offering protection to doctors in 19 states including Maharashtra, the Medicare 2010 Act about prevention of violence and damage of property, should be implemented properly. “There should also be a registry for violence on healthcare professionals and it should be created immediately,” he said.
Dr Madhuri Lokapur, a practising doctor at Jehangir hospital, said, “The laws need to be precise and should be protective of the medical care givers. The law currently states three years’ imprisonment, but we want to extend it to seven years, and the cases should be fast-tracked for just delayed is justice denied.’’
Dr Shyam Kagal, was among those who kept his clinic shut in solidarity. “I completely sympathise with the issue. I have faced similar issues earlier. They are right with this and they are doing this to make a difference in the future. I kept my clinic shut in solidarity,” he said.
