Tiruvannamalai: Doctors at the Government Tiruvannamalai Medical College Hospital boycotted outpatient duty and surgeries in protest against a disabled rights group that laid siege to an orthopaedic at the Collectorate for not issuing disability certificate. However, they attended emergency cases.
Dr.R. Ragavanantham, assistant professor of Orthopeadics from the college, attended the camp organised in Collectorate to issue certificates for the disabled for getting national identity card. He allegedly denied certificate to P. Sivaprakash (55) of Aiyyampalayam whose right arm was amputated up to the elbow. He was asked to come after the injury was healed. Two other disabled persons M. Manickam (65) of Chettikulam and K.Thanjiyammal (38) of Karungalikuppam near Kelur were also reportedly denied certificate.
Angered over the doctor’s decision, Tiruvannamalai District Federation for Differently Abled General Secretary E. Venkatesan and his supporters laid siege to the room where the camp was being held. They said that they would not let the doctor leave unless he gave the certificate. The doctor fainted at the end of the protest that lasted for more than four hours and was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital with low blood pressure and low blood sugar.
However, another doctor Chandramohan was called in and the three persons were given the certificates. The federation for the differently abled has submitted a petition against Dr. Ragavanantham. Based on the petition, District Differently Abled Welfare Officer P.T.Srinath wrote to Dean of the medical college stating that Dr. Ragavanandam had made three eligible disabled persons to wait for six hours and sought departmental action against him.
Condemning the protesters for preventing the movement of the doctor till he fainted, the Government Tiruvannamalai Medical College doctors boycotted duty and were staging dharna till Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Tiruvannamalai East police have registered a case against the protesters under sections 147, 448, 294B, 342, 363 and 506(1) of the IPC. However, doctors were insisting that sections of Hospital Protection Act be invoked to arrest the accused immediately.
