The Delhi government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against striking doctors who refused to join duty even after the city administration accepted their demands.
"ESMA has been invoked on the striking doctors. We can't let the patients die in the Delhi government hospitals. They are constantly suffering due to the agitation by the doctors even after we have accepted the demands," Delhi's Health Minister Satyendra Jain told reporters in the Delhi Assembly premises.
"Doctors are saying that they now want the central government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to accept their demands now," he said.
The minister said it was the first time that emergency services were hit so severely and patients were suffering. "I visited several hospitals on Monday and found that emergency services were stalled due to the strike. This is unacceptable."
Jain also said that Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung has ordered Delhi Police to provide adequate security at all the critical care units of Delhi government hospitals.
The doctors, under the banner of the Federation Of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), have refused to resume work till their demands are met and the central government and MCD also come ahead together to resolve the issue.
FORDA is an association of doctors of 25 Delhi-based government hospitals.
"Let the government implement the ESMA. If they implement it, we will ensure that the agitation becomes big. If they threaten to suspend the residents doctors, let them suspend all the 20,000 doctors," Pradeep Kumar, a senior resident doctor and FORDA member, told IANS.
Explaining the reason behind the doctors not calling off the strike, Pradeep Kumar said: "FORDA has members from Delhi government hospitals, two hospitals from under the union health ministry and also hospitals under the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi).
"So, this problem can't be solved by the Delhi government alone but also needs the attention of the union health ministry and MCD," the FORDA member added.
"Union health ministry and Delhi government assured us of implementing all the demands earlier also, but didn't do anything," Pradeep Kumar said, adding that the strike would not end even after ESMA.
"Even earlier, similar assurances regarding consideration of our demands were given to us but nothing was implemented," he added.
Over 20,000 resident doctors from 25 government hospitals in the city have gone on an indefinite strike since Monday, demanding adequate stocks of life-saving drugs, security at work place, fixed duty hours and timely payment of their salaries.
The doctors went on strike in February too after which the Delhi government had assured them of better working conditions.
The latest strike has affected outpatient department (OPD) private ward services and emergency services.
The Delhi government on Monday accepted all the 19 demands of the striking doctors during a two-hour-long meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, which was attended by around 25 resident doctors.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted on the issue: "Most demands of striking doctors genuine. I have directed the health department to implement them. The department should have resolved it earlier."
He said the government was forced to invoke the ESMA as the strike was causing inconvenience to the patients.
"If they still do not return, then in public interest, we will be left with no option but to take harsh steps," Kejriwal tweeted after the ESMA act was invoked.
