We aren't asking for a lot: Doctors

8,000 paramedics and doctors are on strike, demanding better security, low course fees, maternity leave and more staff strength

Almost everything seems to be unwell with public hospitals in the state, particularly in Mumbai.


An empty OPD at Rajawadi Hospital

Yesterday, 5,000 paramedical staffers of peripheral hospitals went on a strike, and today over 1,500 resident doctors will do the same over a host of unresolved issues with the authorities.

For a while now, resident doctors and paramedical staffers in the city have been pressing for their respective demands to be met, which are plenty, unfulfilled, and long-standing.

But seeing their plea fall on deaf ears, the two groups decided to abandon work to grab the attention of "heedless" authorities.

Paramedics

Yesterday, about 5,000 paramedical staffers from 16 peripheral hospitals went on a strike for seven hours, from 7 am until 2 pm. The staffers included nurses, ward boys, lab technicians, labourers and others.

Their predominant demand is that of more manpower, especially for cleaners and sweepers hired on contract basis and removed two weeks ago. And secondly, a pay hike.

One of the nurses said, "We don't get our salary on time, and are working for half our actual salary."

Another nurse from same hospital said, "As per hospital rule, there should be two sweepers for every ward. But instead we have one for three."

When MiD DAY spoke to Municipal Mazdoor Union President Mahabal Shetty, he said, "We want more manpower. Hospitals have a lot of vacancies but no one is recruiting.

The ones on contract basis have been removed, so others in the hospital have to bear the burden of their work."

During monsoon, owing to the spurt of malaria cases and consequent rise in admissions in hospitals, the BMC had recruited paramedics on contract basis. But they were removed after the crisis was over, alleged the union.

These included some of the staffers' children who were hired on a temporary basis, but were denied an extension by the BMC.

"The situation now is as bad as it was during the malaria outbreak. The wards are full with fever patients due to the change in season.
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But the authorities are turning a blind eye," said a ward boy from a civic hospital.
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For the 3,000 resident doctors in the state, who will go on a 24-hour strike starting 8 am today, it is the concern with the hospitals' lapse to provide them with security against assaults by kin of untreated patients.
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Other than that, they are upset with the authorities' reluctance to give student doctors maternity leave, and the fee hike in medical courses. Of these, 1,500 are from the city.

The doctors, employed with 13 state-run and three BMC-run medical colleges in the state, had warned of a token strike after a violent incident which was reported in MiD DAY ('Mard ko bhi dard hota hai', March 15).

"We have been requesting the authorities to get more security personnel. Even with strict laws in place, doctors are assaulted every now and then.

After the recent incident in Aurangabad where the eardrum of a doctor was damaged owing to an assault by upset relatives," said Dr Pankaj Nalawde, president of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
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"Close to 40 per cent of our resident doctors are females and many get married during the long duration of the course. They should be granted maternity leave," said Dr Madhav Swami, president MARD at KEM.

He added the association of interns will be part of the strike over their demand for a stipend rise.

The MARD will also protest the hike in fees of MBBS and postgraduate courses announced by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

"We are not asking for a lot, just basic security and for keeping medical education affordable to all," Dr Swami had told this newspaper earlier.

Owing to the token strike, all major public hospitals have put their senior doctors on round-the-clock duty.u00a0 "Our work will remain unchanged," assured Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM Hospital.

DeanSpeak

Civic officials have promised the striking unions that the matter will be taken to higher authorities, and authorities say they have got a handle on the crisis.
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"I have resolved the issue with the paramedics, and once Additional Municipal Commissioner, Manisha Mhaiskar comes back to town, we will speak to her and make it a point that vacant posts are filled immediately," said Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM hospital and director of major civic hospitals.

Dr T P Lahane, dean of JJ hospital, said, "We have postponed routine surgeries which take longer. But we have put all our doctors on round-the-clock duty. We will ensure that patients do not face any inconvenience."