Out-patient services in most private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in Vellore district were affected on Saturday following the strike from 6 a.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday resorted to by doctors of private hospitals. It was part of a state-wide agitation by doctors of private hospitals in Tamil Nadu demanding protection to health care facilities and doctors from attacks by anti-social elements. Emergency services however were maintained in the hospitals.
Dr. S. Damodaran, president-elect (2015-16) of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Tamil Nadu State Branch and a former president of the Vellore district branch of IMA told The Hindu that of late there have been many incidents of attacks on private hospitals and man-handling of doctors by anti-social elements or relatives of a patient who died after treatment in hospital on the “false grounds” of wrong treatment.
The IMA president-elect said that doctors worked sincerely to save a patient who was brought to the hospital in a serious condition. But deaths do occur due to circumstances beyond the control of the doctors. “Even if someone feels that wrong treatment has led to the death, the right procedure for him/her is to resort to legal remedy and not violence and man-handling, he said, and urged the Tamil Nadu government to enforce Act 48 of the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Properties) Act 2008 whenever there were attacks on hospitals and doctors. Dr. Damodaran said that the private doctors however attended to emergency services on Saturday.
The Christian Medical College, Vellore expressed its sincere concern over the recent widespread incidents of violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals in various parts of the country on account of matters related to the care of patients. “We express our solidarity with the IMA as it expressed its disapproval of such activities as health care is founded on the solemn tradition of harmonious relationship between physician and patients. We are disturbed by the way individuals are made vulnerable to abuses and harm publicly by those who act impulsively and unreasonably without being mindful of the constraints in which health professionals work”, said Dr. Raju Titus Chacko, Associate Director of CMC in an email statement to the Press. He urged the government to take step to ensure a safe and congenial atmosphere for the medical professionals to discharge their duty and service to the patients.
