Defuse doc strike, Madras High Court tells state

Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the state government to defuse the strike by doctors, medical students and house surgeons, if any continues, across the state, and ensure that proper treatment is given to the patients.

Justice N.Kirubakaran gave the directive and posted to March 20, further hearing of a petition filed by C.Kumaran, a patient, who went to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital for treatment but returned due to doctors’ strike.

The petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to take appropriate action against the students, duty doctors and house surgeons for their misbehavior with the patients and for not attending the patients from March 16 onwards.

Justice Kirubakaran also directed the state government to file details as to what is the strength of doctors including medical students and house surgeons in government hospitals, whether the doctors strength is adequate to attend the patients, Is there any vacancy, what is the budgetary allocation for MMC and whether all the medicines and medical equipments are available to treat the patients.

When the case came up for hearing, S. Doraisamy, counsel for the petitioner submitted that one person was admitted in the RGGGH with multiple injuries for treatment. He was almost at the end of his life. But nobody attended him.  The attender of the patient requested the duty doctor to attend him immediately. But he did not heed to his request.

Agitated over the same, the attender pulled the shirt collar of the doctor, which led to an altercation, resulting in doctors, medical students and house surgeons indulging in road roko from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. No doctors were available to attend the patients during this period.

Due to the negligence of the doctor, the patient died Friday morning. He also came to know through newspaper reports that three patients died due to failure of the doctors to attend the patients. The petitioner went to the RGGGH for treatment on March 16 but he was not allowed to enter the hospital. However, somehow he managed to reach the OP ward but he was informed that no doctors were available to attend him. Hence, he returned,, Doraisamy added.
Special government pleader Rajagopalan however maintained that no doctors indulged in the strike and the strike was not continuing now and proper treatment was given to the patients.

Noting that the attack on doctors was not new, the judge said, “The patients or their relatives should not misbehave with the doctors. Only, if the doctors are there, they can attend the patients.

“Doctors are not Gods. They cannot inject life. Of course, they cannot neglect their duty. It is the duty of the doctors to attend the patients. Let it be a last incident.”, the judge added and directed the state government to take steps to prevent attack on doctors.

Wondering where the police officers have gone and what they were doing when the agitation went on for nearly 2 and half hours, the judge said hereafter it should not happen.

The safety of the doctors, medical students and house surgeons was important but at the same time, effective treatment should be given to the patients, the judge added.