After the Bombay High Court reprimanded the defiant resident doctors for their failure to comply with its Thursday’s order and served them an ultimatum to either join their duties or face termination proceedings, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Friday assured the court that the agitating doctors would resume work in Government hospitals in the State at 8 am on Saturday.
Taking serious cognizance of the agitating resident doctors’ refusal to resume work despite its order, a HC Bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice GS Kulkarni advised the authorities in Government hospitals across the State to go ahead and terminate the services of the agitating resident doctors in the event of their failure to resume work.
“Despite assurances if the doctors have not resumed work, we think we made a mistake yesterday by showing them sympathy... The doctors are taking undue advantage of us and our sympathy. If you (doctors) keep stretching the matter like this, the public will come and hit you. You are creating this atmosphere. let the hospital management take suitable action against the doctors then. let them all be terminated," Chief Justice Chellur observed.
Justice Chellur’s observations came after petitioner Afak Mandaviya’s lawyer Datta Mane approached the court once and informed the HC bench that the agitating doctors had failed to resume duty despite Thursday’s HC directive to them.