Doctors in Madhya Pradesh Monday stayed away from attending OPD services in hospitals across the state in response to the nationwide strike call given by the apex medical body IMA in support of the agitating medicos in West Bengal, leaving patients in the lurch in the state.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has given a 24- hour strike call (from 6 am Monday to 6 am Tuesday) with the withdrawal of non-essential health services across the country in support of the striking junior doctors in West Bengal.
Health services at outpatient departments (OPDs) in several government and private hospitals were paralysed due to the boycott of work by doctors in Madhya Pradesh.
"Nearly 3,000-3,500 doctors took part in a protest march taken out from the government-run Gandhi Medical College (GMC) to divisional commissioner office in Bhopal in support of the agitating medicos in West Bengal, said United Doctors Forums Redressal Committee chairman Dr J P Paliwal.
"We have submitted a memorandum addressed to the chief minister on the issue, he said.
"Our OPD services remained non-functional during the day-long protest, but emergency services continued as usual, he said.
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"A large number of doctors, including those from AIIMS Bhopal, took part in the protest march. In the memorandum, we have demanded the enactment of a central law for protection of doctors and its implementation in true spirit, Junior Doctor Association president Sachet Saxena said.
We have strongly condemned the violence against doctors in West Bengal and demanded that they be given protection and all their demands be fulfilled, Saxena said.
Paliwal said the strike affected non-essential health services in the entire state.
A report from Indore said nearly 2,000 doctors boycotted work in support of the IMA call.
According to eyewitnesses, OPD services were affected in the government-run MY Hospital in Indore and also in other medical facilities in the commercial city, causing inconvenience to patients.
IMA Indore unit president Dr Shekhar Rao said nearly 2,100 doctors boycotted from their work and their agitation will continue till 6 AM Tuesday.
Rao said there is a Doctors Protection Act in Madhya Pradesh, but the police have no knowledge about it and therefore it is not being followed.
We therefore demand that the Centre frame a new law for the protection of doctors, he added.
Minister for Higher Education and Youth Affairs Jitu Patwari said there are adequate legal provisions in Madhya Pradesh for the protection of doctors and their strike in the state was inspired by politics.
Junior doctors in West Bengal are on a strike since June 11 after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured allegedly by relatives of a patient who died at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
In a show of solidarity, medical practitioners across the country have decided not to work, leaving patients in the lurch.
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