With their long pending demands to implement Medical Protection Act (MPA) in Jharkhand and to rectify the existing Clinical Establishment Act, all the private practitioner doctors on Friday joined the strike to support the Government doctors.
Though decision has brought entire health services at standstill in the State, still neither the health department officials nor the Health Minister has yet responded to their demands or have even tried to communicate with the doctors on protest.
“So far, we have not received any statement from the State Government. However, in a letter released by the Health Department few days back, it was mentioned that the health services must be maintained as per the standard. According to the instructions, we are trying to provide all essential services to the patients who are coming for treatment,” said, Ranchi Civil Surgeon, Dr Shiv Shankar Harijan.
On Friday OPDs of Government hospitals, community health centres including private health care centres remained shut. At RIMS and Sadar Hospital, two busiest State-owned-institutions the health services were crippled as only few doctors were seen on hospital premises.
Though emergency cases were dealt by the doctors Statewide, maximum patients from both public and private health clinics have to return as the doctors denied diagnosing patients to mark the protest.
Government doctors started their agitation under the banner of Jharkhand State Health Services Association (JSHSA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA) from September 28.
With the long pending list of more than ten demands, all the protesting doctors are also demanding to improve and utilise the existing infrastructures in capital city to boost the health care sector, reconsider the working hours of the doctors, appoint more doctors to meet the crisis as in Jharkhand only 1,170 Government doctors are delivering the services at present, the State Government should re-evaluate the decisions of carrying out at least three institutional deliveries at additional PHCs across State beside implementing the Medical Protection Act and amending the Clinical Establishment Act in the State.
Doctors here have also asserted that owing to the non availability of blood and other basic amenities at their health centre they are forced to refer their patients to the State-owned- institutions or any other private health care institutions.
“Even after three days strike, none of the Government officials have reciprocated to our pleas. Taking a stringent action ahead all the doctors will submit their resignation letters to CM soon. Our demands are genuine. MPA is for protection of hospital equipments and for safety. The health care services have completely deteriorated in State. We cannot attend to serious cases due to lack of necessary facilities. The Government must ensure that all the necessary facilities are available at the health centres,” said, IMA Jharkhand wing General Secretary, Dr Pradip Kumar Singh.
Few doctors even claimed that despite the assurance from CM Raghubar Das on MPA implementation and amendment of Clinical Protection Act few months back, health officials have not yet forwarded the files and some officials of the department allege that only after verifying the matter with the legal cell the laws can be implemented or amended.
Notwithstanding people’s sufferings for the past three days, Health Minister, Ramchandra Chandravanshi and Addictional CS of Health Department, K Vidyasagar and other senior officials remained out of reach to comment on the Government’s stand on the issue.