Hyderabad: Junior doctors and medical students in Hyderabad went on a dawn-to-dusk fast on Tuesday in support of junior doctors in Kolkata who have started a fast unto death, demanding justice in the RG Kar case.
The city doctors, also members of Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA), began the demonstration following a call from the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) junior doctors network and medical students network. A demonstration was held at IMA, Koti.
Supporting these young doctors, several senior members of the IMA also joined the fast. "We are supporting junior doctors' demands for swift justice for Abhaya. They are also demanding that the West Bengal health secretary should resign and there should be some change in the West Bengal government's attitude," said Dr Minhaj Nasirabadi, secretary of IMA, Hyderabad.
Shedding light on the situation in medical institutes in Hyderabad, TJUDA vice president, Dr Venkatesh said that the people who come for treatment expect immediate relief but for a doctor who treats hundreds of patients in a single day, it is not possible to focus on a single patient for long.
Hence, doctor-patient ratio should be reduced so that quality service can be provided.
He highlighted the lack of manpower and support from the administration and also the patients' unrealistic expectations as some major problems.
"When it comes to doctors' safety, the situation was not as bad in earlier times as it now, mostly due to political interference," said Dr Dhanashree, retired professor from Gandhi Medical College.
Dr Minhaj pointed out that despite repeated announcements being made for increasing the security of doctors and regular inspections of hospitals, no action seems to be taken on ground.
