Thousands of patients coming in to Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital here in Raipur would have to bear the brunt of an incident that occured in remotely-placed Kanpur. Junior doctors in the State-run hospital have decided to show solidarity with fraternity against the brutal assault on doctors by supporters of sitting MlA.
Patients in the city would be affected on Wednesday as the Out Patient Department (OPD) would remain shut for two hours or more as a protest by junior doctors. Around 1,200 junior doctors, under-graduates, interns and consultants in the government-run hospital are protesting against the incidence of assault against medical students that occurred in Kanpur.
On February 28, supporters of Samajwadi Party MlA Irfan Solanki and junior doctors of the Kanpur medical college had come to blows during night time. Following which, the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the two raging groups. “What happened in Kanpur is brutal and highly unjust and doctors in Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital stand in their support. No action has been taken against the MlA because he is affiliated to the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh,” said Dr Ateesh Singhal, President of Junior Doctor Association of the hospital.
Owing to the strike, more than half a dozen patients have died in Kanpur. When asked about the problems that patients of Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital will face because of the protest, Singhal said that they will let the emergency ward remain open. “We are left with no option that to resort to protest,” he said. The junior doctors will also meet Governor Shekhar Dutt on Wednesday in this regard.
The doctors have also planned to hold a bike rally from hospital premises to Governor House to gather more public support. It is reported that the incident in Kanpur left several people, including police personnel, journalists and many civilians injured. The doctors of the Kanpur medical college are holding a strike since then and were joined by doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. Thirty-six junior doctors were arrested after the incident. Twelve of them were later released.
Their counterparts from Dr BR Ambedkar Medical College on Tuesday worked in the hospital sporting black bands in protest. The doctos have informed the Health Secretary of the state government, Dean of Pt Jawahar lal Nehru Medical College, Distrcit Magistrate and Police Department about their protest.