Medical services were partially hit in Ballari on Tuesday after doctors went on a strike to protest against the manhandling of Superintendent of Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Science (VIMS) Hospital, its Resident Medical Officer and also junior doctors on March 6 by relatives of a woman and a newborn both of whom died in hospital. Except emergency services, private clinics and nursing homes, doctors in the city did not attend to patients. However, doctors at VIMS Hospital attended to both emergency cases and out-patients, keeping in view that the poor from various parts of the district would come, on humanitarian grounds. Doctors under the banner of Ballari Branch of Indian Medical Association and Indian Dental Association took out a procession, wearing black badges and holding placards. Ashwinikumar Singh, president of Indian Medical Association, Ravikumar Reddy, secretary, and office-bearers of the association submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing concern over the repeated attacks on doctors and inaction on the part of the law enforcing agencies against those indulging in such acts, leaving doctors and other medical staff with a sense of fear and insecurity. Deputy Commissioner Ramprasath Manohar and Superintendent of Police R. Chetan told the doctors that investigation was on.
