Many heads of departments, professors and associate professors of a number of government medical college hospitals have urged the State government to consider and implement the demands of the striking doctors and end the impasse amicably.
While noting that they would take care of emergency care round-the-clock, they have resolved to stop elective medical and surgical interventions due to dearth of workforce.
Several senior doctors of Madras Medical College (MMC) and its affiliated institutions, Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital and K.A.P.V. Government Medical College and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, Tiruchi, have signed statements to this effect.
Some of the senior doctors of MMC met the striking doctors on the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Thursday to express their solidarity.
In the statement, they said they “wholeheartedly support the peaceful and non-violent method of agitation by our junior colleagues for genuine reasons” and appreciated the way in which the strike was organised ensuring that the emergency services were not affected. They were maintaining emergency/essential services only with the support of postgraduates, who despite not signing the attendance, were lending a hand in patient care. They noted that there was a dearth of maintenance of elective care in the absence of assistant professors and senior residents.
The senior doctors noted in the statement that the demands were pending for a long time, and the government and courts have upheld their genuinity, and there had been assurances by the government on many occasions that they would be conceded.
They resolved to stop elective medical and surgical interventions due to dearth of workforce and the need to attend to 24x7 emergency care. They will not be attending to Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme work, other department meetings and academic activities including teaching, they added.
The senior doctors said they will continue to provide emergency and essential medical services wearing black badges.
They will be forced to intensify the stir depending on the response from the administration, they added, urging the government to implement the genuine demands and to end the impasse amicably.
