Maharashtra govt sets up joint panel with IMA to address doctors’ grievances

A government resolution (GR) in this regard was issued on Thursday, which stated that the committee will be chaired by the chief secretary along with other key officials from the state health department and IMA. The GR was issued following discussions led by Dr Bhondwe, with Dr. Shivkumar Utture, president, Maharashtra Medical Council, Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta and Dr Girish Vyas, state principal secretary.

“Our demand that all orders, decisions and protocols taken by the Centre and Maharashtra government should be informed to the IMA Maharashtra has been accepted,” Dr Bhondwe said, adding that there was a need to set up proper communication channel with private doctors.

“Doctors have to be treated with dignity and their suggestions and complaints should get a patient hearing,” Dr Bhondwe said, adding that social discrimination of doctors by the society should be taken seriously and cases should be registered under the new amendment in the Epidemic Act, 1897.

Doctors also demanded the need for a uniform policy about fees and hospital charges for Covid and non-Covid patients treated by private hospitals across the state. “At present, fees and hospital charges are decided by administrators and there is no consistent protocol,” Dr Bhondwe said in a statement issued Friday.

The advisories issued by collectors at different places are contradictory and inconsistent. IMA officials have also urged that the decision to set aside a hospital as a Covid Care one should be done as per the guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry. “The hospital should be acquired only after a proper inspection of that hospital,” an IMA Maharashtra member said.

They have also demanded standardised and government approved PPE kits, which should be made available at medical/surgical stores. The state government has also assured that Rs 50 lakh insurance offered to government health workers would also be applied to private doctors on Covid-19 duty.