Thousands of patients visiting the Out Patient Department (OPD) of Doon Hospital here faced problems as the doctors' boycotted work on Tuesday after a scuffle involving personal staff of a doctor and BJP leader and councillor from Vasant Vihar Anju Bisht. The incident occurred at 10.30 am on Tuesday when the BJP Councillor Bisht had an altercation with the personal staff of Dr KB Joshi. The councillor alleged that the personal attendant of Dr Joshi slapped her and misbehaved with her. later, BJP MlAs Harbans Kapoor and Ganesh Joshi arrived in the hospital with many of their supporters and raised slogans against the doctor and hospital administration. The matter was however resolved when the attendant of doctor publically apologized for his behaviour.
The whole issue irked the doctors of the hospital and they retorted to boycott of the OPDs. They assembled at the conference room of the hospital and discussed the issue. The representatives of pharmacists, nurses and class IV employees unions also joined them and said that such insults would not be tolerated. Narrating his version, Dr Joshi said that he was not in the OPD at the time of incident and it was in fact the BJP councillor who misbehaved with his attendant.
He said that he was abused by some people and he is contemplating resignation from the service. Dr Joshi also added that he has lodged a written complaint against some persons for misbehaving with him at Kotwali police station.
Addressing the meeting the district President of Provincial Medical Health Service (PMHS) Dr NS Khatri said that the incident proves that the doctors and other hospital staff are working in an unsafe environment in the biggest hospital of the state. He said that Doctors can not work in such an environment. The president of Nursing association Anjana Bhowmick supported the stand of the doctors and assured full support of her organisation.
It was later decided that a delegation of doctors would meet State Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi and would apprise about the unsafe working environment of the hospital. The doctors said that final decision on the type of protest would be taken after meeting with the Health Minister on Wednesday.
The Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of Doon hospital Dr RS Aswal said that the issue involving the scuffle between the personal staff of Dr KB Joshi and BJP councillor was resolved. He said that he is ignorant of any work boycott call given by the doctors.