Medicos wear helmets, join nationwide protests

Chennai: Following IMA's announcement on Sunday that it would continue with the doctors' strike, doctors across the state joined in the protest to express their solidarity for the brutal attack of a fellow doctor in Kolkata.

The protests come in the wake of the assault on a resident doctor at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital in central Kolkata. Dr Paribaha Mukherjee was attacked with bricks on the night of  June 10 by drunk relatives of a  75-year-old patient, who alleged medical negligence for his death. Dr Mukherjee was admitted to a private hospital in critical condition, with a fractured skull. Protests erupted throughout the nation starting with doctors in West Bengal suspending outpatient treatment from Tuesday( June 11).  Support poured in for the movement from all parts of the nation, with several prominent doctors from India's premier medical institutions resigning.  Condemning the attack, the Indian Medical Association announced a nationwide four-day protest starting from Friday.

Meanwhile, doctors in the state joined the ongoing protest today by suspending all non-essential services, including outpatient services for 24 hours ( 6 am Monday to 6 am Tuesday). However, the emergency services were unaffected and attended to.

While many doctors wore black badges and helmets to work,  several private clinics and hospitals remained shut on Monday. The movement was observed state-wide with doctors in Salem, Coimbatore and Namakkal observing a similar approach of protest.

Doctors from Stanley medical hospital, Egmore children's hospital, Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital, Madurai Meenakshi mission hospital, Parvathy hospital and Jipmer also participated in the nationwide strike.

Expressing his support for fellow medicos, Dr. S Gurushankar, chairman, Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai, and president, AHPI (TN Chapter) said, “Doctors in Madurai are responding to the call of IMA and AHPI for nationwide withdrawal of non-essential services for 24 hours due to the continued suffering of resident doctors and repeated occurrence of violence against them without redressal. We strongly condemn the recent incident of violence against doctors in Kolkata by a frenzied mob.”

He added: “It is time better safety and protection were provided to healthcare professionals increasingly becoming the victim of physical attacks by patients' kin for circumstances beyond their control. Such violence on doctors not only jeopardizes their life and safety, but it also compromises the working of the healthcare system. How can doctors function if they are fearful of their lives while treating patients? We need a strong nationwide law with stiff jail term to check violence against doctors. If need be, armed police personnel should be posted at hospitals to guard against physical assaults and rowdyism by the kin of patients.”