Doctors and paramedical professionals wear black badges and hold placards during a demonstration at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai on November 14, 2024.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Government doctors staged demonstrations across Tamil Nadu condemning the assault on a senior medical oncologist at Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) and demanded safety and security measures for doctors and hospital premises.
With the Indian Medical Association-Tamil Nadu State Branch also taking part in a 24-hour strike (from 6 p.m. on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) to 6 p.m. on Thursday (November 14, 2024)), outpatient services and elective surgeries were suspended at many government and private hospitals.
Editorial |Saving doctors: On medical professionals, their safety
The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA), which had announced an indefinite strike on Wednesday, decided to withdraw the call after talks with the Health Minister on Thursday. In a statement, TNGDA president K. Senthil said an order on security measures was issued by the Directorate of Medical Education, and the Minister promised to review the implementation of the measures after a month.
State-wide protests
In Chennai, doctors of the Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) staged a demonstration at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). P. Balakrishnan, State convenor, FOGDA, demanded that armed police personnel be deployed at government hospitals, and hospitals be declared safe zones with two-tier security.
Doctors affiliated to the TNGDA, Chennai district, wore black badges to work and conducted a peaceful demonstration at RGGGH. The association demanded stringent action to prevent similar incidents in the future by increasing the number of police outposts and police personnel at all hospitals.
At Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, Arunachalam, district president, FOGDA, led the protest. He said, “In the first phase of our protest today (Thursday), we boycotted outpatient services, review meetings, the entry under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, and all teaching activities at the medical college. Round-the-clock police protection should be given to all government hospitals.”
Outpatient services in 400 plus government and private hospitals in Erode were disrupted as over 1,500 doctors went on strike to condemn the attack. Many patients, unaware of the strike, arrived at the hospitals only to return without receiving treatment. At the District Headquarters Hospital in Erode, doctors under the banner TNGDA and IMA staged a demonstration on the hospital premises wearing black ribbons. They demanded the maximum punishment for the accused who assaulted the doctor.
Doctors at government hospitals in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai demanded increased police security in hospitals. Except emergency services including trauma and deliveries, remaining services including outpatient ward, elective surgeries and classes for medical students were suspended. More than 300 doctors, PG students and house surgeons participated in the strike at the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai, said M. Balachandar, president, TNGDA, Tiruvannamalai.
Doctors called for strict action under Hospital Protection Act and BNS criminal provisions on people who attack doctors with the intention to kill.
The strike called by TNGDA and IMA saw widespread closure of outpatient departments in private and public hospitals in Tiruchi from Wednesday evening until 6 p.m. on Thursday.
“Only emergency services were open during this period. Even though this was just a one-day protest, we want to express our opposition and grief about the current scenario, when doctors are getting attacked by members of the public,” Tamil Selvi, secretary, IMA, Tiruchi chapter, said.
Members of TNGDA staged a demonstration on the premises of Madurai Medical College. Noting that the attack on the doctor was a result of the lackadaisical attitude of the government in protecting the doctors, they said, despite several such incidents, the doctors’ safety was still not ensured. Many of the CCTVs on the hospital campus were not functioning, while inadequate security personnel added to the problem.
“The Government must ensure the safety of all healthcare professionals,” said P. Kumaran of TNGDA, Thoothukudi. Despite the protest, all departments continued to function as usual, said G. Sivakumar, Dean of Thoothukudi Medical College and Hospital.
Around 500 doctors, including house surgeons and PG, of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital assembled in front of the Dean’s office and staged a protest. “Trained personnel, preferably permanent staff, should be appointed as security guards. Entry and exit of visitors should be monitored at hospitals. Various demands put forward to the government should be implemented within 15 days,” said TNGDA honorary chairperson N. Ravishankar.
Published – November 15, 2024 02:32 am IST
