AIIMS docs demand action against comedian Sunil Pal
New Delhi, April 20: The AIIMS Resident Doctors’’ Association (RDA) has written to Union home minister Amit Shah demanding the strictest steps for the “derogatory and obnoxious” comments by comedian Sunil Pal in an entertainment channel against doctors working in COVID management and treatment.
Terming Pal’s comments “blunt lies”, the doctors’’ body said dissemination of those will be extremely dangerous in these times and relegate the faith of patients in the healthcare system.
In the letter, the RDA said frontline healthcare workers and other countrymen are facing the wrath of Covid-19 and everyone is trying their best to alleviate the suffering caused by the recent surge of infections. “It breaks the heart of all those who have endeared so much, doctors and non-doctors alike when their intentions are questioned and maleficence is spread by denigrating words.
“The recent monologue by comedian Sunil Pal circulated on NBT entertainment channel has pinched the weary nerves of all doctors who have jumped back into this war, often selflessly, and is definitely bound to affect their morale and grit,” the RDA said.
The doctor’s association termed the comedian’s monologue “nefarious, ill-hearted and ill-conceived”. “His blatant accusations of fraudulent deeds of doctors, comparing doctors to evil creatures of the society and spreading lies about Covid-19 when the whole country is fighting against it, is beyond logic.”
Describing doctors as “soldiers” in this battle against the pandemic, the RDA said, “His action warrant the strongest punishment so that we understand that our country is with us as we face this Covid-19 war. The government should ensure that such provocative videos propagating falsified information should be admonished.”
“On behalf of the medical fraternity, and all healthcare and frontline workers we demand strongly that strictest steps be taken against his inappropriate conduct at the earliest to prevent unrest amongst doctors and anxiety amongst the affected patients and their family,” the RDA letter stated.