Resident doctors on token strike

OCTOBER 31: Resident doctors in various public hospitals across the State have declared a day long token strike on Monday demanding hike ...

OCTOBER 31: Resident doctors in various public hospitals across the State have declared a day long token strike on Monday demanding hike in their pay and better living conditions.

Nearly 4,500 agitating doctors affiliated to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors MARD have submitted their demands to the authorities in municipal corporation and the State Government. On Saturday, the association representatives met the State Director of Medical Education, Dr V L Deshpande, and deans of some medical colleges to explain their demands.

Deshpande reportedly sought time to consider their demands since the Government was yet to name the health minister. After refusing his demand to withdraw their agitation, they decided to give the State authorities one month8217;s time to implement their demands and postponed their indefinate strike to November 22. Meanwhile, the public hospitals have made alternative arrangements to deal with the token strike on November 1.

According to Dr A R Fernandes, Dean of LTMGHospital in Sion, all emergency services will be provided to the patients, including the casualty and the intensive care units. However, the out-patients8217; department OPD will remain closed for the day and even the routine and planned procedures will not be undertaken, she said adding that all full-time staff has been mobilised for the purpose to ensure that emergency patient care does not suffer.

At KEM Hospital, Dean Dr R G Shirhatti said that the duty charts of the full time staff has been drawn up and all the necessary steps have been taken to deal with the token strike. As head of the institution, he said, it is his first priority to provide good care to patients under all circumstances.

Meanwhile, resident doctors at JJ Hospital have protested against an order issued by the authorities in which the unregistered resident doctors have been warned against joining the token strike. The unregistered doctors generally serve in some department for experience and these posts are given to them by thehospital administration.

In a letter sent to these unregistered doctors, the JJ authorities have warned that their posts would be terminated if they participated in the token strike. Charging the authorities of using arm-twisting tactics resident doctors threatened an indefinite strike if such an attitude persists, a MARD spokesman said.