700 junior resident doctors of Civil Hospital on strike

From http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/700-junior-resident-doctors-of-Civil-Hospital-on-strike/articleshow/12127831.cms

AHMEDABAD: It was history repeating itself for the medical staff at the Civil Hospital as flash strike was announced

More than 700 doctors of Civil Hospital went on a strike late on Friday night after a resident doctor was allegedly beaten up by relatives of a patient that died during treatment at the hospital.

The doctors' association claimed support from other government hospitals in the state over issue of inadequate security. Senior state health officials rushed to the hospital to pacify the doctors on strike but the deadlock was not resolved as on Saturday night.

According to Shahibaug police officials, they recorded cross-complaints on Friday. "As per a complaint by Dr Nitin Chaudhary, a first-year surgery student, he was on duty at the C4 ward of the hospital. The doctor was summoned by the relatives to have a look at Shehnaz Bano Mansuri, 32, a resident of Rakhial, who was admitted in the ward. Mansuri was admitted for a fortnight due to swelling in the small intestine. She was not keeping well for two days and had become critical.

When Chaudhary attended to her for the third time, she had died", said a Shahibaug police official.

When Chaudhary declared her dead, he was assaulted by Mansuri's relatives led by Ismailbhai, her husband who accused him of negligence. Chaudhary later filed a complaint for assault against a group of five with police. As Shukal, inspector of Shahibaug police station, told TOI, Mansuri's family members have filed a cross-complaint against Chaudhary and Civil Hospital staff for negligence that led to her death.

As the news of assault spread in the campus, the doctors congregated and decided not to report on duty in protest. till the issue of their security gets resolved. Dr Hiren Patel, president of resident doctors' association at Civil Hospital, told

TOI that a physical or verbal abuse of a doctor at the hospital has become a routine affair.

"Every fortnight, at least one doctor is abused in the hospital by patients' relatives. We cannot work in such an environment and demand assured security at the workplace. While other states have legislations making such an assault a non bailable offence with three years' imprisonment and monetary fine, why can't the state take step towards that direction? More than 700 doctors have joined us and we have got support from hospitals in Bhavnagar, Surat, Jamnagar and VS Hospital," said Patel.

Another member of the association said that it is a now or never situation.

"We have been promised better security for last three years but nothing has happened. We want the government to understand our situation and pass the resolution in the ongoing session of legislative assembly," said the doctor.