Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) doctors’ welfare association announced strike on April 11 and 12 to protest against the unavailability of recruitment rules in the hospital which is causing high attrition rates among doctors.
While talking to mediapersons on Sunday, Secretary of the association Dr Yogesh K Niwariya said that neurology, gastro medicine, nephrology and endocrinology are non-functional as there are no HODs available. Now, cardiology will also suffer the same fate as the HOD doctor Vivek Thripati has resigned, Niwariya added.
As these specialty departments have closed down and it has directly affected the function of the hospital and ultimately the poor gas victims have been on the suffering end, he added.
The doctors and other staffs are worried about their future for a while now and this has been the reason for the high attrition rate among doctors and other staffs, Dr Niwariya added.
The lack of recruitment rules in a Department of Health Research governed the institution has become a matter of serious concern as the stability and future of the employees are at stake and that may be the reason as why doctors are discouraged to join the institution or resigning from the institution, he further added.
The whole episode of non-availability of recruitment rules has directly affected the gas victims as it is impossible to provide quality service.
Previously organised dharnas and strikes did not bring any positive outcome, thus the doctors have decided to go on strike again on April 11 and 12. Fifty doctors in the hospital will remain off the work for two days, he added.
Initially, the association decided to go on an indefinite strike for which they gave notice on March 29, 2016, but citing the Prime Minister and President’s visit to the city on April 14 and 15, 2016 the association decided to be on two day strike. Emergency services will be available even during the strike.
If the demands are not met the Association will decide accordingly at that time.