Jaipur/Jodhpur: Medical services were
virtually paralysed in five major districts of Rajasthan with
residents doctors in at least 50 government and private
hospitals going on a strike against alleged lathicharge on
medicos in Jodhpur.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the strike by
the doctors. Officials sources said that at least 15 people
have died so far in Jodhpur as they could not be provided
treatment in time due to the stir which began yesterday.
"Medical services have been affected in SMS hospital
and associate hospitals including Janana Hospital, Mahila
Hospital, JK Lone hospital, and one private Mahatma Gandhi
hospital," Dr. KK Sahu, President of Jaipur Association of
Resident Doctors said.
On Saturday night, attenders of an injured patient
Nemi Chand Mali allegedly misbehaved with resident doctors on
duty at MDM government hospital in Jodhpur, official sources
said. A scuffle soon broke out between the medics and the kin
of the patient following which police resorted to lathicharge
to control the situation, they said.
Demanding action against senior police and
administration officials, private and government doctors went
on a strike in around 40 hospitals in Jodhpur, while resident
doctors have struck work in Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer and Bikaner.
Senior government doctors have announced a day`s mass
leave tomorrow in Kota and private doctors will join the
strike in Jaipur tomorrow.
"All the private doctors have decided to go on strike
tomorrow affecting services in around 400 private hospitals,"
Dr. Shivraj Singh, Secretary of Jaipur Medical Association
claimed.
"In all government and private hospitals here, doctors
are on strike since yesterday and the strike will continue
until government takes action against those involved in the
lathicharge," Pramod Sharma, President of Doctors` Sangharsh
Samiti, Jodhpur, said.
Naresh Roy, Secretary of Rajasthan Medical College
Teachers` Association-Kota, said that 70 resident doctors are
on strike in two government colleges and 100 senior doctors
and medical collge teachers will go on one-day mass leave
tomorrow in support of Jodhpur doctors` demand.
Doctors in Jodhpur, 285 kms from Jaipur, took out a
protest march and burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Gehlot today reviewed the situation with
state Health Minister A A Khan and senior officials.
"It is a matter of concern. Doctors and nursing staff
must cooperate with patients and their kins. Doctors are like
God for patients but it is condemnable that doctors are not
behaving like this," Gehlot said in a statement.
PTI
