Hamidia staff on strike; patients suffer

IN A retaliatory move, Class IV health employees of Hamidia Hospital went on a strike on Thursday a day after ‘attack’ on employee leader by a group of junior doctors on March 22. The strike created chaotic conditions at the hospital and patients suffered for want of proper care.

The striking employees are demanding deregistration of the guilty junior doctors and greater security measures in the hospital. Meanwhile, health employees’ union and Laghu Vetan Karmachari Sangh also extended support to the striking Class IV employees.

Laxminarayan Sharma of the health employees’ union alleged that the junior doctors keep harassing the health staff. He added the hospital was meant for treating patients in an amicable atmosphere and proper security arrangements should be ensured.

The employees took out a rally and staged a dharna to register their protest while handing over a memorandum, addressed to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, to the SDM of the area.

The rally began from the Hamidia Hospital and it went through Budhwara, Tallaiya and other areas before culminating at the Neelam Park. The agitators submitted the memorandum there demanding for deregistration of the erring doctors and beefing up of security measures.

Meanwhile, the conditions in Hamidia Hospital deteriorated further due to the strike. Doctors had to double up and perform works of ward boys and other Class IV staff. As a result, there was chaos at the place and poor patients were the worst hit due to the standoff between junior doctors and health employees.

The Bhopal District Youth Congress’ SC ST and Tribal Cell has also come out in support of the employees. Cell president Shiva Chauhan condemned the attack on employee leader Kishan Chauhan by four junior doctors.

The cell submitted a memorandum to Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi demanding action against the guilty under the Section 310 of the SC, ST Act. The cell members also urged the State Government to order payment of Rs 10,000 each to the injured. The cell threatened a major agitation, if action was not taken against the erring doctors soon.

Four junior doctors suspended
THE FOUR junior doctors, who had attacked employee leader Kishan Chauhan have been suspended for one month. “As per the recommendation of the GMC’s disciplinary committee, the four junior doctors who were arrested by police were suspended with immediate effect,’’ GMC Dean Dr Nirbhay Srivastava told Hindustan Times. Dr Srivastava added that the suspension would be for one month duration. The suspended junior doctors are Dr Hitesh Sharma, Dr Ravi Thakkar, Dr Amit Tyagi and Dr Rahul Varshneya.

Speaker directs to end stalemate
ASSEMBLY SPEAKER Ishwardas Rohani today directed the government to take necessary steps to end the stalemate between junior doctors and employees in Hamidia Hospital here so that patients could get proper treatment. As Arif Aqueel (Congress) again raised the matter in Assembly during question hour, Rohani directed Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi to look into the matter. Earlier, Aqueel said the strike at the hospital was affecting patients.