The junior doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) continued the strike for the third day on the college campus. The strike had begun in the aftermath of an incident on Sunday when a postgraduate medical students was beaten up by attendants of a patient. A meeting to decide whether to take the strike forward for went on till late in the night on Tuesday. Doctors from Tiruchi met Health Minister V.S. Vijay to convey their concerns.
The Minister promised prompt action saying that “They have requested action against the hospital (GH) which can be done under the Hospital Protection Act (2008). They have also requested that security be boosted so that such incidents do not occur again and that only one visitor be allowed with a patient in important areas such as trauma care section and the ICU.” He also expressed the hope that the protesting doctors would withdraw their strike.
Meanwhile, Dean V. Kanagasabai met the junior doctors at 11:30 am on Tuesday and requested them to cooperate and resume their duties at the hospital. He stressed the fact that as doctors, they must deliver their work “effectively, efficiently and competently”.
“The point is to address the issue so as to prevent future occurrence. Punishment is not the point here. The media has ensured spreading awareness about how hard the doctors work out to the public. Now they should let law take its course,” he added.
The doctors demanded that attendants be prevented from entering the ward and asked for police protection especially in similar situations.
Dr. Kanagasabai pointed out that after the incident, no attendants were allowed into the trauma wards. The administration has also decided to set up CCTV cameras at the ward entrances and has placed an order to fix iron rods.
On Monday, Health Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan had promised to fulfil all the demands of the doctors except the one involving the arrest of those involved in manhandling the doctor, where an agreement had not been reached.
