Docs go on strike,seek CBI probe

“We believed the government the first time,when the administration assured us of an inquiry in the murder of Dr Arya. But with this second murder,we cannot afford to leave the matter to government’s decision and will continue the strike unless a CBI inquiry is set up in both the murder cases,” said Dr UN Rai,president of the PMS Association.

“Doctors are no longer safe in the state,” said Dr AK Srivastava,cardiologist at RML Hospital Lucknow,where Dr Singh was posted as a cardiologist before taking charge of the CMO.

While the Out Patient Departments of all the government hospitals remained closed today,observing condolence on Dr Singh’s death,the emergency services were functional until the PMS Association conveyed its decision around mid-day.

“We have closed the emergency and postmortem services in the district after the association informed us about the decision,” said Dr Umakant Gupta,Chief Medical Officer of Aligarh.

Similar reports reached here from Varanasi,Allahabad,Kanpur,Meerut and other parts of the state. “We have closed the OPD but the emergency services are functional as we are still awaiting the instructions from the PMS Association,” Dr DP Mishra,Chief Medical Superintendent of District Hospital,Kanpur,told The Sunday Express. Meanwhile,in Lucknow,while OPD services were closed,the emergency services reportedly remained functional but were severely affected.

Dr Singh was general secretary of UP PMS Association for last two terms. Emerging winner in 2010 elections also,Dr Singh was also slated to continue on the post until a controversy hit the elections and the matter was sent to the SDM Lucknow to resolve. In the light of the controversy,Dr Singh’s differences with the president-elect of the Association this year,Dr DR Singh,came to the forefront.

Meanwhile,Dr Singh’s murder also highlighted murders of three more medical officers in the state in the last six months. After the murder of Dr VK Arya in October last year,Dr Sanjiv Saxena,posted with the PHC in Chandauli district was allegedly murdered on February 21 and Dr Harpal Singh,a radiologist posted in the District Hospital,Meerut,was shot dead on March 8.

Condemning the murder of Dr Singh,the Samajwadi Party today said only criminals remain fearless in the state under the Mayawati regime. The party has demanded CBI probe in all the cases involving deaths and suicides of government officials.

UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi described the CMO’s murder as a “mysterious incident” and demanded CBI probe in the case. In a release,Joshi said the state government should have given proper security cover to Dr Singh soon after his posting as CMO,Family Welfare,Lucknow. She added the murder of Dr Singh’s predecessor Dr Vinod Arya had already alerted the state government.

BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi said Dr Singh’s murder has exposed the state’s law and order situation. Apart from the CBI probe in the case,Shahi also demanded dismissal of the state government on the plea that law and order has collapsed in the state.