Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the State to submit a report on the working conditions of the resident doctors in State-run hospitals and medical colleges, following repeated incidents of assault on them.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G.S. Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation filed by RTI activist Afak Anwar Mandaviya seeking action against the doctors who went on mass leave last week to protest the attacks on them. After looking at photographs of some government hospitals, Chief Justice Chellur said, “This shows that the overall condition is deplorable.”
The Bench asked the State to file a report on the working conditions at B.J. Medical College in Pune, Government Medical Colleges in Miraj, Ambejogai in Beed, and J.J. Hospital in Mumbai.
Nearly 4,000 resident doctors across Maharashtra had stayed away from work for several days since March 20, demanding enhanced security at the hospitals. They called off their strike five days later following an ultimatum by the High Court and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) had informed the court that the doctors, who had abstained from duty last week, had resumed work. The counsel appearing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Suresh Pakale, had told the court that while the doctors were on strike, 53 people died in KEM hospital, 48 in Sion Hospital, and 34 in Nair Hospital.
State Advocate General Rohit Deo informed the court last week that the government has decided to deploy an additional 1,100 armed police personnel from Maharashtra State Security Corporation at State and civic-run hospitals. He said 500 personnel will be deployed by April 5 at city hospitals and the remaining by April 15.
The Bench had said that only two relatives per patient should be allowed in all civic and State-run hospitals. The matter will come up for hearing in two weeks.
