Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 14: After the death of the youth due to alleged negligence by the doctors followed by thrashing and manhandling of the Casualty Medical Officer (CMO) and some doctors, the atmosphere remained charged up today at Government Medical College (GMC) and Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospital as junior doctors went on indefinite strike late last night.
The junior doctors went on strike when the aggrieved family members of deceased Vishal Sharma (18), son of Tarseem Lal, resident of Loura, Phylain Mandaal, went on rampage, smashing down the window panes and thrashing the CMO and some doctors, working in the Emergency wing of the hospital, official sources told the Excelsior.
The deceased was admitted in GMC after being referred by Sohanjana hospital yesterday and he died due to alleged negligence by the doctors, sources added.
Due to the strike by the junior doctors including, Registrars, Postgraduates, House Residents and Interns working in GMC and SMGS hospital, engaged in different departments including Surgery, Radiology department, Gynaecology department, Medicines, Ultra Sound, CT Scan etc, the work remained paralyzed in the two hospitals, sources said.
Patients coming from the far-flung areas of the State also had to face hardships while many of them were immediately shifted by their kin to private clinics after sensing the situation taking a serious turn, sources added.
During the day, some senior officials also visited the GMC hospital and tried to pacify the agitating junior doctors but failed, sources said.
However, consultants are examining the patients in the Emergency wing.
Reiterating their demands, the junior doctors have demanded fool-proof security for the doctors performing their duties in the Emergency wing of the hospital and other allied departments and limitation of attendants inside the Emergency wing of the two hospitals. “Till then we will not resume our duties,” the junior resident doctors said.
As reported earlier, on April 1, 2013, the junior doctors had gone on strike after the alleged negligent death of Farooq Khan (45), son of Sakhi Mohammad, resident of tehsil Mendhar, district Poonch. It was after the assurance of fool-proof security by Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din that they had resumed the work.
Meanwhile, Dr Tariq Parvez Azad, president, Medical Teachers Association (MTA), has strongly refuted the allegation of negligence in the death and demanded magisterial enquiry into the whole episode.
Dr Azad appealed to the Junior Doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest.
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