Day 3: Doctors on strike in  Maharashtra

Resident doctors in Maharashtra are on mass leave since March 20^th, protesting against violence meted out to their colleagues by patient’s relatives, in two separate incidents.

Mumbai HC slams doctors

Blaming the doctors for striking work, the Bombay high court asked them to resign and stay at home if they are so scared. A bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Girish Kulkarni on Tuesday said they cannot behave like common workers and go on strike. “It is a shame on the profession if doctors go on strike like factory men. They are unfit to be doctors then,” said the chief justice.

Situation similar in many states

This is an oft repeated situation in most states, whether it is Hyderabador Guntur or Bangalore. This time nearly 4,000 resident doctors have been off work since Monday following attacks, mainly in Dhule, and at Sion Hospital in Mumbai. These young doctors are demanding better security at all government and civic hospitals.

Government apathy to blame

Instead of ensuring better health facilities for the poor, who mainly frequent these government hospitals, the courts cannot talk about nobility of the doctor’s profession. In that case , why shouldn’t the corporate doctors behave nobly and take up the treatment of these poor patients? Why are the resulting patient’s suffering and deaths blamed only on these junior doctors, who are still in the learning stage?

-UDAAN