Patients face inconvenience as OPDs remain shut in Ludhiana
Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 17
Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Ludhiana, today kept hospital OPDs shut as a mark of protest against the gruesome rape and murder of a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The OPDs at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Christian Medical College and Hospital and other private hospitals such as Fortis Hospital remained shut on Saturday and patients had to face inconvenience due to the same.
The members of the IMA took out a peaceful protest march and condemned the brutal rape and murder of the second year PG student in Kolkata.
Will not tolerate such incidents
We are marching to show that we will not tolerate such crimes and urge the authorities to act decisively to protect the medical fraternity. — Bishav Mohan, Medical Superintendent
The doctors in a large number gathered at the IMA House in the morning and after a brief session, a march was taken out from the IMA to the Ferozepur road, which was blocked for about 30 minutes.
Female doctors showed their anger on streets. Later, the protest ended when the police persuaded them to lift the blockade on the Ferozepur road.
Dr Pritpal Singh, president, IMA, Ludhiana, said the case depicts a deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal.
“All perpetrators involved in the act should be brought to book as soon as possible so that faith in the law of the land should be restored again,” he said.
Dr Manoj K Sobti, convener of the association, demanded that police inquiry should be monitored by the High Court judge.
“There should be a central Act for any kind of assault against doctors and strict punishment for culprits and all hospitals should be declared as safe zones,” he said.
Dr Rohit Rampal, secretary, IMA, Ludhiana, while addressing the march said the assault was not on a doctor in Kolkata but on the daughter of the nation.
“In this moment of grief, each one of us, irrespective of our profession, cast and creed, should unite and come forward and make it loud and clear that enough is enough and we as a society will not tolerate it anymore,” he said.
Various organisations and NGOs, including Indian Dental Association, PCMS Association, Ludhiana OBS and Gynae Association, Ludhiana Citizen Council, WOW Women Association, EK ASS, Rotary Club Harmony, All India Integrated Medical Association, Resident Doctors’ Association and City Needs, also supported the protest today.
As the OPD of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital remained shut today, patients faced inconvenience. Patients not only from the state but also from the entire northern region of the country visit the hospital for treatment.
Medical Superintendent Bishav Mohan said the medical fraternity was shaken by the incident. “We are marching to show that we will not tolerate such crimes and urge the authorities to act decisively to protect the fraternity,” he said.
Gurcharan Singh, a patient who had come from Jammu for his follow-up treatment, was taken aback after seeing the closed OPD at the DMCH. “Now, I will have to stay in the city and meet doctor tomorrow as it will not convenient for me to return to Jammu today and come again another day,” he said.
Another patient, Surinder Kaur, who visited the CMCH, said she had come from Moga for the follow-up treatment but on reaching the hospital on Saturday, she came to know that the OPD was closed.
“I understand that doctors are fighting for a cause. Hence, I have no complaints and will come again on Monday,” she said.
