Sanitation staff go on strike, high drama at Kalpana Chawla college
High drama prevailed at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) for a couple of hours after the sanitation staff went on strike and staged a dharna outside the building of the Director’s office. They were protesting against the alleged misbehaviour with a cleaning staff by a female doctor in the labour room on Tuesday night.
The incident took place after the birth of a baby boy, when no doctor was present there, resulting in resentment among family members of the patient.
The protesting staff alleged that the newborn fell into a dustbin immediately after the delivery and a sanitation staff on duty quickly picked up the baby. However, instead of receiving praise for the step, they claimed, the cleaning staff was scolded and slapped by the doctor who reached there after the birth of the baby.
In protest, the sanitationworkers gathered near the Director’s office building and refused to go back to their duties, demanding an apology from the doctor. Sanitation and cleanliness services were disrupted as a result of the strike.
Anju, one of the cleaning staff, alleged that a woman in labour pain had delivered the baby while the duty staff had gone to call the doctor. “The baby fell into the dustbin, so I picked him up. Instead of being appreciated, I was slapped and scolded by the doctor for doing so,” she said.
The family members of the woman who delivered the baby also expressed support for the sweeper, condemning the alleged misbehaviour by the doctor.
Following the protest and increasing pressure, the doctor apologised for the incident, and ultimately the situation came under control. The Director of KCGMC, Dr MK Garg, has taken the matter seriously and asked the head of the department concerned to submit a detailed report. “I have asked the HoD to submit a report on the issue,” Garg said.
