Court warns of bitter pill against striking doctors
mumbai — Lambasting the agitating resident doctors of the Maharashtra government hospitals for taking “undue advantage of its sympathy,” the Bombay High Court on Friday asked them to resume work by Saturday or face action.
Irked by the doctors’ failure to resume work on Friday despite giving an assurance to the court that they will do so, a bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G S Kulkarni said if they stretch the matter, the “public will hit” them.
The bench had Thursday asked all the resident doctors to resume work immediately and resolve their issues with the government amicably.
But it got upset when it was informed by the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that despite the court’s order, the doctors are still on strike.
“If this is the attitude of the doctors, the respective hospital management can initiate suitable action against them and terminate their services,” said the bench tersely.
The bench, however, gave the agitating doctors time till 8 AM tomorrow to report back to work or else face action.
BMC counsel Suresh Pakhale on Friday informed the court that 135 people have lost their lives in the three civic body-run hospitals (Sion, KEM and Nair) due to the resident doctors’ strike since March 20.
To this, Chief Justice Chellur said: “The life of the patients are more important that your (doctors) demands.”
“Despite assurances, if the doctors have not resumed (work), we think we made a mistake yesterday by showing them sympathy and appreciating their work,” the bench said.
“The doctors are taking undue advantage of us and our sympathy. If you (doctors) keep stretching the matter like this, the public will come and hit you. You are creating this atmosphere,” remarked an upset chief justice.
“Let the hospital management take suitable action against the doctors then. Let them all be terminated,” the court said.
Nearly 4,000 resident doctors have stayed away from work since Monday, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on their colleagues by patients’ relatives at government hospitals across the state.
On the court’s direction Friday, the secretary and the president of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) filed an affidavit stating that the association has asked all its members to resume work immediately.
“The association has no objection if action is initiated against those doctors who fail to resume work,” the affidavit said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday gave an ultimatum to striking resident doctors to resume duty or face legal action.
“Enough is enough. If the doctors fail to resume work today, government will not sit quietly,” Fadnavis said, describing as “adamant” and “insensitive” the attitude of
The life of the patients are more important that your (doctors) demands.’ Chief Justice Chellur
Let the hospital management take suitable action against the doctors then. Let them all be terminated,” Bombay High Court
Despite assurances, if the doctors have not resumed (work), we think we made a mistake yesterday by showing them sympathy and appreciating their work Bombay High Court Bench
doctors whose strike in support of enhanced security at hospitals entered the fifth day.
“We cannot leave the patients to die. I am making a final attempt to break the deadlock by meeting the doctors’ representatives. If no solution is found and doctors don’t resume work, they should be prepared to face legal action,” the Chief Minister told the state legislative assembly.
Accusing the doctors of being “insensitive”, he said it is difficult to accept a situation where the patients were left to die.
“What is the difference between anti-social tendencies that result in incidents of beating up the doctors and the doctors themselves abstaining from work after taking the oath to treat the sick. I am surprised by the adamant stand of the doctors despite assuring them that the Government fully supports their demand,” the chief minister said. — PTI