Protest got support from Navi Mumbai, Thane hospitals

OPD services were suspended and surgeries were postponed as 500 Thane doctors joined the protest on Thursday.

Resident doctors across the state were striking work, after a spate of attacks on medical professionals and hospitals by the families of patients. Ayurvedic practitioners, diagnostic and radiology centres and dental associations in Thane also joined the strike.

At Thane’s bigger hospitals, like Jupiter and Bethany, OPD services were stopped and all surgeries, barring emergencies, were postponed.

Doctors from a Thane medical body called the Janraksha group announced the strike. Janraksha includes members from several association, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) and Thane District Medical Practitioners Association (TDMPA) runs on resident doctors. They should not be taken for granted,” said Dr Dinkar Desai, founder, Janraksha. Dr Desai said his group supports the doctors’ demand for better security and a cap on the number of relatives accompanying a patient.

Other doctors said poor infrastructure was the main cause. “No patient walks into a hospital with the aim of assaulting a doctor. No doctor wants to treat a patient badly. It is lack of infrastructure that leads to all this. Patients are made to wait for hours, while doctors are overburdened. Give us infrastructure, after that if we fail our duties, then take legal action,” said Dr Pradeep Uppal, an ENT specialist.

Doctors in Navi Mumbai held a silent protest at CBD Belapur and met municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.dr Aziz Mhate, secretary of the Navi Mumbai branch of IMA, said “We held a silent protest to protest the series of attacks on doctors Across the city OPDS and