Doctors of Noida, Gzb protest police ‘brutality’
The OPD services of various private hospitals and clinics in Noida and Ghaziabad were put on hold as doctors went on strike for a few hours.
They were protesting against the arrest of 24 medical college students in Kanpur on Friday.
Private hospitals in Ghaziabad, including Pushpanjali Crosslay, Yashodha Hospital and NMG Hospital suspended their OPD services in the afternoon. Services in private clinics were affected in Noida as well. However, the government-run district hospitals were operational in both the cities.
A large number of doctors, in Ghaziabad, gathered for a candlelight march from Yashoda hospital in Kaushambi on Monday evening.
The secretary general of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Ghaziabad, Dr Narendra Saini said, “We want judicial inquiry into the matter. The OPD functioning will be suspended for few days but critical cases will be attended. The government should take appropriate action against the police officers who had beaten the students.”
The 24 students were arrested from their hostel after Samajwadi Party legislator from Kanpur Irfan Solanki was caught in a scuffle with the students and junior doctors at the BR Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital on late Friday night.
The doctors will continue their strike on Tuesday. While, in Ghaziabad, the doctors will wear black badge as a mark of protest against police brutalities faced by the students, doctors in Noida and members of IMA will carry out a protest rally and shut the OPD services.
“We will not let this matter fade away. The government will have to seek action. We will continue the strike on Tuesday also,” said Dr RK Bansal, secretary, IMA, Noida.
Meanwhile, the association of government medical practitioners in Uttar Pradesh, Provisional Medical Services (PMS), held a high level meeting in Lucknow on Monday to decide on the subject.
“The matter has become serious in last two days. We will decide whether OPD services in government hospitals will be functional from Tuesday onwards,” said a senior doctor from PMS.