Post ‘threat’ by miscreants, PGI docs withdraw from emergency services

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, August 24

Resident doctors of the Rohtak-PGIMS, who have been on a strike for the past 12 days, decided to withdraw themselves from the emergency services, including the ICUs and Trauma Centre, with effect from today.

A decision to this effect was taken after some car-borne persons entered the PGIMS campus and allegedly threatened some doctors and medical students last night.

The protesting doctors took a strong exception to the incident and reported the matter to the institute authorities.

Following that, representatives of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) were called for a meeting with the PGIMS Director this morning. “We had detailed discussions over the prevailing situation and our concerns. However, we decided to continue the strike and withdraw ourselves from the emergency services also as certain issues are yet to be resolved,” said a representative of the protesting doctors.

Meanwhile, the medicos also locked a gate leading to a path connecting the PGIMS campus to an adjoining colony to register their protest.

Contacted for comments, the PGIMS Director, Dr SS Lohchab, said the local police authorities had been apprised of the incident in which the car-borne persons had threatened the resident doctors and students, following which the car had been impounded and its occupants rounded up by the police.

“The other concerns conveyed by the resident doctors regarding the provision of safety and security on the campus, especially the academic area housing the hostels and library buildings, have also been looked into and sorted out at our level. The RDA representatives said they would discuss the matter at their general body meeting and convey their decision,” the Director stated.

The resident doctors have been striking work and staging protest demonstrations against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, in addition to press for their demand to ensure the provision of adequate safety and security measures on the PGIMS campus.

The patients visiting the local PGIMS have been facing grave inconvenience due to the ongoing strike of the resident doctors.

The OPD services as well as elective surgeries have been affected by the strike of the resident doctors, which was preceded by a long strike by the PGIMS nurses.

Now, with the resident doctors withdrawing themselves from the emergency services as well, the situation has become more critical.