J&K: GMC resident doctors threaten stir, call termination of colleague 'unacceptable'

The association of resident doctors at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu today threatened agitation if the government order of terminating one of their colleagues was not revoked within the next 48 hours.

The doctor, Amit Kumar, posted as registrar (Anesthesia) in the GMC was sacked on Thursday for violating a government order that bars its employees from using their social media accounts for any activity which may be "prejudicial" to the state.

The termination of Kumar is unacceptable we demand immediate revocation of the order, the Resident Doctors Association of GMC Jammu said in a letter addressed to the principal of the premier institute.

Releasing the letter at a press conference here, the association extended support to Kumar, who was engaged on a contract basis for three years in September last year, and sought the intervention of the principal in revocation of the order.

If the order will not be revoked in next 48 hours, we will be forced to express our resentment in a phased manner which includes stoppage of OPD services, routine surgical procedures in main operation theatre. From March 24, we will stop all emergency services, president of the association Sourabh Katoch said.

He said the Facebook comments of Kumar, who is the vice president of the association, were in no way meant to provoke readers or to target college administration or government.

The doctor submitted a letter of unconditional apology. Warning should have been issued to him before issuing termination letter, he said. The sacked doctor, who was also present, said he had responded to a Facebook post of health minister Bali Bhagat after inaugurating a lift at the hospital. I am a common citizen first then a doctor I spoke truth to inform people about the lift which was already installed and was mulfunctional, he said, adding the lift stopped functioning again just a day after its inauguration by the minister.

He said he had tendered an unconditional apology to the health minister for hurting his ego but when he refused the association decided to go for protest if the order is not revoked.

Questioning the government decision to terminate the services of the doctor, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said, All the doctor did was point out that the lift the health minister claimed to have inaugurated was actually an old lift and for that he was removed from the post of registrar.

Ministers can protest to defend rape/murder accused but a doctor can't point out the truth.@MehboobaMufti dictatorial Govt in J&K, Abdullah, the working president of opposition National Conference, wrote on Twitter.

The government had in December last year barred its employees from using their social media accounts for any "political activity" by amending the conduct rules for them, drawing strong condemnation from different quarters and opposition parties.

According to the statutory regulatory order (SRO), no government employee shall engage in any criminal, dishonest, immoral or notoriously disgraceful conduct on social media which may be prejudicial to the state.

The gag order had also echoed in the state assembly during the budget session which ended early last month with opposition parties terming the move as draconian and demanding revocation of the order.