Doctors of government and private hospitals responded overwhelmingly on Saturday to the 24-hour strike call by Indian Medical Association demanding that hospitals be made Protected Zones.
Through the strike, about 33,000 doctors belonging to 3,700 hospitals, 3,500 dentists, and 16,000 doctors in government hospitals throughout the State expressed disgust over the vandalisation of hospital property by relatives of patients who die despite the best of treatment, and subsequent victimisation of doctors by the law and order machinery, Honorary Secretary of IMA, Tamil Nadu, C.N. Raja, told reporters here.
It was unfair to hold doctors responsible if there is a fault in medicines.
The Government must curb across the counter sale of medicines by pharmacies without doctors' prescriptions, Dr. Raja said.
Despite there being clear court directives that the doctors must not be arrested even if FIRs are registered, they were not being followed by the police department. The situation has driven doctors into going on a day-long strike. Only emergency cases were attended to; there was no outpatient treatment in any of the private hospitals. Government hospital doctors attended to work wearing black badges after staging a dharna, Dr. Raja said.
Thanking Corporate hospitals and private medical colleges for responding to the strike call, Dr. Raja exuded hope that there would be a positive outcome in the talks between Health Department officials and IMA representatives on Tuesday.
Special Correspondent from Salem adds:
Doctors of private hospitals in Salem also joined the statewide strike.
Most of the private hospitals remained closed and wore deserted look
