Patients suffer as PGIMS doctors go on a day’s strike
ROHTAK: Resident doctors of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, went on strike in the wee hours of Tuesday alleging misbehaviour by police with a lady doctor.
The doctor was called to the police station for interrogation in the case pertaining to the disappearance of a newborn boy from the hospital ward on September 10.
The resident doctors’ association claimed they were being harassed by police by being called for interrogation multiple times. They raised their resentment with the hospital authorities late Monday night and went on strike around 1:30 am on Tuesday. The hospital roped in senior doctors, but could not fill the gap.
The strike, which continued throughout the day after several meetings failed to break the impasse, impacted functioning at the hospital as patients narrated harrowing stories of the hospital staff asking them to arrange for private care due to non-availability of doctors. “My sister has dengue. She was admitted here four days ago, but still her blood platelets are low. Today morning, the PGIMS staff askedus go to private hospital saying doctors here have gone on strike. If we had money, we would have not come here in the first place,” said a distressed attendant.
Meanwhile, the police said the doctors were not cooperating with them in the investigation. “We want to move the court to seek permission for a lie-detection test on 14 suspects who were present during the time of the incident. Nine staff nurses and Class 4 employees have given us the permission for their polygraph test, but all five doctors have refused,” said DSP Ravinder, the incharge of the special investigation team formed to probe the case.
He said the police are having a hard time in interrogating doctors as they refuse to come to police station. The vice-chancellor of the health university, Dr VC Kalra, said he has asked the resident doctors to cooperate with police. “The doctors are feeling uncomfortable at police calling them multiple time. But they have to cooperate with the cops.”
Rohtak Dairy Mohalla resident Sunny Kumar’s wife had given birth to a baby boy at PGIMS’ gynaecology ward on September 10. Few minutes later, the family as told that their newborn had gone missing. The hospital formed an internal committee to probe the incident. Based on recommendations, it suspended a staff nurse and terminated the services of seven Class 4 employees.
POLICE SAY DOCTORS NOT COOPERATING IN PROBE INTO BABY BOY’S DISAPPEARANCE