Maharashtra Resident Doctors call off proposed strike

Following government's assurance to enhance the security at the hospitals, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Sunday called off its strike which was scheduled to start at 8pm same evening.

MARD had threatened strike in reaction to assault on three doctors at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Mumbai by relatives of a three-year-old boy who died of dengue following an alleged delay in admitting him to ICU on Friday. The resident doctors at KEM had proceeded on strike immediately.

MARD said in a statement on Sunday that after the talks with the administration, the KEM unit of MARD had decided to join the duty at 5 on the same evening.

On Saturday, MARD had said there would be a state-wide indefinite strike from Sunday (today) evening if those accused of assaulting the KEM doctors were not arrested immediately.

"Our main demand that all the four accused be arrested has been met, and sections 326 (causing grievous hurt), 332 (causing hurt to public servant) of the Indian Penal Code have been applied. Number of security personnels at KEM has been increased by 32," said Dr Sagar Mundada, MARD chief.

"The administration assured that our demand that 145 CCTV cameras be installed at the hospital would be fulfilled by October-end. To tackle emergency situation, we have been assured, security by the Rapid Action Force will be provided and for this purpose hotline number 7402 has been set up.

"There would be a meeting of the resident doctors and the Dean to address their issues every month. Additional 211 security guards would be deployed at KEM by November 30, and the security at all the hospitals run by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai would be upgraded by October 3," he added.

MARD also thanked the medical education minister Vinod Tawde for acting promptly. Tawde had on Saturday met the injured resident doctors and promised to install CCTV cameras at 32 locations in the hospital within a month.