Doctors’ associations in Bihar have threatened a mass agitation and planned to move court against Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Pappu Yadav’s continuous tirade against them, terming the Indian Medical Association (IMA) as “Indian Murderers Association”.
The MP, along with his Parliamentarian wife, has been holding jan adalats [people’s courts] against doctors allegedly fleecing poor patients in border districts of north Bihar.
Earlier, the RJD MP from Madhepura had prescribed fees for doctors in his constituency in accordance with their qualifications. Later, he had held a huge public meeting in neighbouring Saharsa district where he opened sealed boxes in which common people had given their mandate on the issue of doctors fees.
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He even had raided private clinics of some doctors in Madhepura and Saharsa districts and locked them for allegedly fleecing poor patients.
Meanwhile, agitated over his regular tirade and holding peoples’ court against them, the doctors’ associations in the State have threatened to go on a protest and even approach court against the MP. The doctors have requested Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to rein in the MP otherwise “they would be forced to take their own course of action”.
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Members of the Bihar unit of the IMA and Bihar Health Services Association (BHASA) have convened a divisional meeting on Saturday at Purnia to discuss future course of action.
“We would no longer sit on the margins... the dignity and security of the medical community is at stake,” said Santosh Kumar Verma, divisional secretary of BHASA, in Purnia.
However, Mr. Yadav told The Hindu that he had not used any abusive language against the doctors, but would continue to fight against those who fleece poor patients.
“I’ll not allow them to extort money from poor patients in the name of treatment. As a public representative, how can I be a mute spectator to all this?” said Mr. Yadav while adding that he would soon expand his protest to the whole State.
Earlier, he had also submitted a list of 27 fake private clinics and nursing homes operating in his Parliamentary constituency to the Chief Minister while urging him to crack down on such fake doctors across the State, “But nothing happened”, he rued.
The RJD has distanced itself from what the MP has been doing. “The party has nothing to do with his programmes and protests. The party leaders have been asked to stay away from his public courts and meetings”, said a State party leader.