No end in sight to Maha docs’ stir
Only a fraction of the over 2,000 striking medicos joins work despite CM Fadnavis’ rap
Nearly 312 of the 2,000odd striking resident doctors joined work on Friday night, but the rest, defying the call by doctors’ associations to end the protest, have decided to continue the agitation, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
The Indian Medical Association and six other major bodies representing doctors, which pulled out of the strike on Friday after an hour-long interaction with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, termed it as an ‘unfortunate and immature behaviour’ on part of the resident doctors.
“What more do you want when the CM of a state, with folded hands is requesting you to resume your work?” asked Parthiv Sanghvi, secretary of IMA. The body with 40,000 members who are doctors in Maharashtra, had continued to support the protests after the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) pulled out of the protest late night on Thursday. From the periphery hospitals, 230 of the 440 doctors have resumed duty, according to the numbers.
“The meeting with Fadnavis was very positive and he patiently listened to us for an hour. He has accepted all the demands and informed us about the plan of action,” said Dr Sanghvi, adding they have got more than what they demanded.
A section of resident doctors alleged that IMA pulled out of the protest because of personal gains and they are going to continue until they see some results on ground level. “We started the protest, not IMA or MARD. The state has made many assurances in the past and none of them were fulfilled. We will resume duties only when we see the changes on
ground,” said a resident doctor at KEM hospital.
However. many of those who participated in the protest, continued to work in the wards, to ensure the patients are not inconvenienced.
Dr Mukesh Agarwal, head of the paediatric department of KEM Hospital said students in his unit, who are also a part of the protest, have prepared their own schedule. “They aren’t signing on the musters but one of them
comes for a round every hour and checks on patients,” said Dr Agarwal.
Hundred armed guards from Maharashtra Police Security Corporation would be appointed within five days and rest, 1,100 across the state are going to be deployed across 17 medical colleges of the state by April 30.
Services in the hospitals remained critically affected due to the strike, however, no untoward incident took place.