Bhopal: Medical services in all hospitals of five main government medical colleges across the state were adversely affected after junior doctors along with Class III and Class IV workers went on strike on Monday. FIRs were also filed against absentee doctors as the government has imposed ESMA in the state following the strike.
Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) of all the five medical colleges went on indefinite strike over paltry stipend, poor sanitation and lack of proper canteens in Medical Colleges and Hospitals.
Hundreds of patients at Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa government medical colleges suffered. In absence of junior doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, the administration had to press resident doctors and faculties to take charge. In Bhopal, patients ran from pillar to post at the government hospitals, many of them had to turn to private medical facilities.
As paramedical staff, nurses, technicians under banner of MP Nurses’ Association, also went on strike demanding implementation of 7th pay commission, the basic health services in Hamidia Hospital and Sultania Hospital remained totally paralyzed. Resident doctors and faculties were pressed into job to handle the situation in both two hospitals.
Dr AK Shrivastava, one of senior Doctors of Hamidia Hospital, said, “We managed the show. Situation was tense as we had to handle the rush of the patients in the absence of junior doctors. But ultimately we managed it. Residents doctors and even faculties have been pressed into job in hospitals.”
JUDA Association president Dr Sachet Saxena said that they called on Additional chief secretary (ACS) Radheshyam Julania and Directorate of Medical Education (DME) Sheoshekhar Shukla, however, they were asked to call off strike before meeting them. “We told the officials that for the last one month, we ran parallel OPD as mark of protest and to draw attention of the government towards our problems and demands but they were ignored and now left with no option we went for strike,” said Saxena.
Jabalpur’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, dean Dr Navneet Saxena confirmed that FIR has been filed against absentee doctors. Similar situation is expected to be replicated at other medical colleges, with junior doctors being issued notices about ESMA being imposed.
ACS Radheshyam Julania said that it has been made clear to the JUDA representatives that confrontation was not the way for the settlement of any issue. There will be another meeting on July 31 and if JUDA remained adamant on strike, law would take its own course, he added.
Two prisoners die due to lack of treatment
Two jail inmates, admitted in Hamidia hospital, died due to lack of treatment, on Monday after JUDA and para medical staff went on a strike. Bhopal central jail superintendent Dinesh Nargave informed that 35-year-old Santosh was brought from Seoni jail to Bhopal for treatment of his heart problem.
He was admitted to the Hamidia hospital on July 13. He said that the other under trial 64-year-old Kamal Singh was admitted to hospital after he complained of chest pain in Bhopal jail on Monday morning. He added that a judicial magistrate will conduct an enquiry into the matter.
