Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday sought reply from the city police on a PIL filed against resident doctors of BMC-run Sion Hospital who had threatened to go on strike over alleged high-handedness of the hostel warden.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice NM Jamdar was hearing a PIL filed by social worker Afak Anwar Mandaviya seeking direction to the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take action against the doctors under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA). The bench directed the petitioner to make the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) a respondent in the case and kept the matter for hearing on Monday.
Over 500 resident doctors of Sion Hospital, all of whom are members of MARD, had complained against the hospital`s hostel warden Rajesh Dere for his high-handedness and using abusive language against them. Acting on the grievances, hospital dean Sandhya Kamat had formed a committee comprising four senior doctors to look into the issue. The committee, however, in its report absolved Dere of all charges. Aggrieved by this, the doctors declared to go on strike today and tomorrow.
Terming the strike "illegal" and an harassment to patients, the PIL stated that under the MESMA, the municipal corporation and the police have power to take action against the doctors.
"Section 7 of the Act provides for penalty to be imposed for such illegal strikes while Section 11 gives the police power to arrest the striking person," the PIL contended.
Incidentally, the doctors did not go ahead with the strike threat today.
PTI