Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 2: Leaving patients again to suffer, Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu and associated hospitals today went on indefinite strike after the hospital and district authorities failed to fulfill their demands.
“Last month all fake promises by hospital and district administration have been exposed since no security is in place in GMC and its associated hospitals. No regulation of attendants has been done” said Dr Zaheer Khan, Registrar surgery and RDA office bearer.
“It’s almost more than a month since the last talks with the administration but they are still sleeping on the issue of security. Instead of providing adequate security to doctors and hospital staff the police is playing puppet to hand full of lawyers who think that they are above law”, said Dr Vinod Katil, organizing secretary, RDA.
The RDA president, Neeraj Sharma said that they had already submitted an advance notice to the Hospital administration on February 28 that if efficient, reliable and adequate security is not provided in GMCH and Associated hospitals by 4 pm of Monday, we would go on strike, but the authorities failed to take any corrective measures.
The RDA is demanding that at least 45 police personnel (15 in each shift) in GMC and about 25-30 police personnel (10 in each shift) in SMGS hospital be deployed to strengthen the security of doctors and hospital. They are also demanding closure report of the fabricated FIR registered against innocent doctors by a lawyer and making assault on doctors and hospital staff on duty a non-bailable offence as already in place in Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
Dr Akhil Gupta, joint secretary of RDA said that the association will not call off its strike till their demands are fulfilled in letter and spirit.
Meanwhile, the deliberations between RDA and GMCH authorities to work out the issue failed to yield any fruit.
Though, complete strike was observed today after 4 pm by resident doctors at GMCH but at SMGS there was no strike observed by them till late evening and they were doing their duties as usual, according to the reports.
When contacted, Principal, GMCH, Dr Ghansham Dev said that on the demand of the resident doctors, about 20 police personnel have been deployed at GMCH alone but they are demanding withdrawal of FIR against doctors, which is not in their hands.
However, he said that senior consultants are carrying out the duties of the resident doctors to provide uninterrupted health services to the patients.
Follow our WhatsApp channel