Mumbai: Resident doctors at public hospitals in Mumbai carried out black ribbon protests and a candlelight march on Monday to protest the withdrawal of Maharashtra State Security Corporation guards from hospitals in the State.
The 1,100-odd armed security guards have been on strike for nearly a month, resulting in reduced security in hospitals. The guards were appointed after a five-day strike by resident doctors in March.
Monday’s protest was in support of resident doctors at the Nagpur Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), who have been on “mass bunk” for the past two days, demanding armed security guards. One of the triggers for the protest was the murder of a 35-year-old woman, whose naked body was found on the GMCH premises on Saturday. An attendant from the mortuary has been arrested in the case.
“The crime on the hospital premises indicates that security was lax. We need the armed guards back, and we are supporting the resident doctors from Nagpur through our silent march and black ribbons,” said Bharat Telang, president of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, Nair Hospital branch.
Guards from the Security Guards Board in Thane have been brought in as replacements in hospitals in Mumbai.
