State govt accepts TP Lahane’s resignation amid protests by JJ Hospital’s resident doctors

Meanwhile, as per new order, Dr Ravi Chauhan, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology department at Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College Nagpur has been appointed as HOD of JJ Ophthalmology department.

Along with these two senior doctors, the resignation letters of the seven honorarium doctors have also been accepted.
The resident doctors from the Ophthalmology department have been at loggerheads with Dr Lahane and Dr Parekh, blaming them for students’ lack of surgical hands-on experience, academic and research activities, and have accused them of using unpleasant and obscene language. Although Dr Lahane, the former head of JJ hospital, wasn’t an employee, under the Preventable Blindness Free Maharashtra Mission, he would conduct cataract surgeries at the hospital. As alleged, this hindered the practical experience of the resident doctors as they weren’t allowed to practice.
“None of the resident doctors from the first and second year performed cataract surgeries. We just do the post-operation duties. To make world records, he kept performing cataract surgeries at our expenses,” said a resident doctor.

Finally, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) called for an indefinite strike after submitting their complaints to the current dean Dr Pallavi Saple on May 25.

A three-member committee formed to investigate allegations found that all the allegations were true and the department was being run in a dictatorial way that is contrary to numerous National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations.

Meanwhile, the resident doctors are yet to call off their strike. As per sources, the representatives of MARD met Education Minister Girish Mahajan and discussed the matters of unpaid stipends and arrears of the previous two batches.