Medicos resume duty across the state, no action taken

Mumbai: All resident doctors who went on mass leave to protest assaults on colleagues across the state, resumed duty across Maharashtra at civic- and government -run hospitals. No stringent action has been taken against them as they have rejoined duty. The directorate of medical education and research (DMER), Dr Pravin Shingare, confirmed the same on Saturday.

The doctors’ mass leave (strike) agitation was called off in the wee hours of Friday, after the negotiations held between doctors and medical education minister Girish Mahajan, state health minister Dr Deepak Sawant and chief minister Devendra Fadnvis. The strike was also called off after an ultimatum issued by the Bombay high court.

Dr Yashwardhan Kabra, president, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), said, “The resident doctors all over the state resumed duty (Friday) midnight itself and rest have joined (Saturday) morning”. He said their three major demands were armed police security and alarm system in hospitals and that per patient two passes should be issued.

“The government issued a letter of assurance, our demands are fulfilled. Adequate security will be deployed across hospitals. A two-pass system per patient will be started immediately at casualty, while one pass will be allowed per patient in general wards. Visiting hours have been fixed between 7.30 am and 8.30 am in the morning, and between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm in the evening,” he said.

The letter of assurance issued by the state government said First Information Reports (FIRs) in cases of assault on doctors on duty is to be lodged strictly under the Doctor’s Protection Act 2010 by the institute or hospital where the incident takes place.

An alarm will be installed at all government hospitals by April 30, 2017 to inform the staff in emergency situations.