Over 1000 patients at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) had to suffer as all the OPDs at the premiere state-run hospital remained non-operational for nearly two hours on Wednesday morning. The doctors were present at the OPDs but refused to write prescriptions as a part of their pen-down strike in demand of a Medical Protection Act (MPA).
There are a total of 10 OPDs at RIMS and all of them remained non-operational from 9.30am to 11.30am, doctors said. Around 1200 patients had to wait at the OPD to get their prescriptions, they added.
“Medical Protection Act is not only for the benefit of doctors but also for the welfare of patients. Under this Act, hospitals cannot refuse to hand over the body of a deceased patient to family even if the bills haven’t been cleared,” said Dr. Ajit Kumar, president, Junior Doctor’s Association (JPA), RIMS.
The Act mandates imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of Rs 50,000 for attacks on doctors, nurses and hospital establishments.
There have been several incidents of attacks on doctors at RIMS too in the past. In February last year, a doctor was heckled by attendants of a patient at RIMS prompting medicos at the hospital to go on an indefinite strike.
A couple of months later, in June, a nurse was thrashed by attendants of a patient who died in the hospital. This incident too caused uproar by RIMS staff.
Implementation of MPA has been a long pending demand of the Jharkhand chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The Act has already been implemented in 18 states in India and IMA wants Jharkhand to be the 19th state to implement the MPA.
“The Cabinet had approved the MPA in Jharkhand in 2017. Later, a select committee too gave a report on it. But it is yet to be passed by the Assembly,” said Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh, General Secretary, of IMA’s Jharkhand chapter.
The government has been delaying the implementation of the Act on pretext of adding more patient-friendly clauses to it, Singh added.
“This entire Act is in favour of patients. It makes the hospital and doctors answerable to their queries. It specifies that doctors have to give all details of the treatment that any particular patient is undergoing if his or her family asks for it,” he said.
The issue was also raised in the Assembly on Wednesday.