The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Uttar Pradesh government to take immediate action to end the strike by government doctors which has resulted in "violation of people’s right to health and life.”
The strike began in protest against the arrest of two dozen junior doctors in the GSV Medical College, Kanpur, after a scuffle with an MLA on February 28.
In a statement here on Wednesday, the NHRC expressed deep concern over reports of paralysed health services, leading to the death of many patients, owing to the strike in different parts of Uttar Pradesh.
The Commission apprehends that the strike would have repercussions in other parts of the country. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has reportedly said that if its demands for withdrawal of charges against junior doctors and action against the MLA and the SSP, Kanpur, were not met, it would go on all-India strike from Thursday.
Reportedly, a number of doctors had already tendered their resignations, the statement said.
Noting that patient care was sacrosanct to the medical profession, the Commission said the medical fraternity should explore alternative ways of registering their protest.
It also urged the government to bring the guilty to justice at the earliest.