AMU Resident doctors association decry safety Issues at Residential campus

Aligarh: The Resident Doctors’ Association at JN Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), is demanding necessary arrangements for the security of resident doctors residing in accomodation right outside the campus.

In a letter written to the Vice-Chancellor of AMU, the RDA under the presidentship of Dr Abdullah Azmi has demanded that the university authorities look into their long-standing demand of a residential facility for married/unmarried PG medical students.

“Since AMU is unable to facilitate hostels for a larger section of students and the resident doctors at the university; due to the paucity of rooms in the available hostels, most of the students of the university and the resident doctors of the faculty of medicine are compelled to opt for spaces around the campus. Under these conditions, safety and security of the Non-Residents (NRs) is a matter of serious concern,” the RDA pointed out the matter of concern demanding the university authorities to make necessary residential arrangements for resident doctors accommodated outside the campus.

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Besides this, the association asked for a proper channel for forwarding any of their complaints to the concerned authorities.

“We demand a formal protocol be approved by the university wherein the legal action on resident doctors, in any case, be processed only through the office of the Proctor, so that the university administration is in the knowhow of the matter of the affairs, and the parents, guardians of students/resident doctors receive information well in time. This is in the interest if the students/resident doctors of the university. The said protocol should be communicated to all the relevant offices of the university and the district administration. Whereas, this will ensure the safety and security if students/resident doctors, it will also end the disparity between NRs and the hosteller at the campus,” the letter went on to add.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Azmi shared the incident which had struck the association to shot up a letter to the AMU VC. He stated that a few days ago, the family of one resident doctor attached to the institute, was verbally assaulted by an AMU professor (Non-Medical) at their residential society. This had happened a few times before as well. The professor had allegedly threatened the resident doctor of ruining his career.

The resident doctor wanted to file an FIR but to forward this complaint to the police; he needed a verification note from the medical university’s authority, Proctor. The medico approached the President of RDA, JN Medical College, who further moved the Proctor of the medical college seeking the authority to move forward the complaint to the police.

However, stating that it’s an outside matter, the proctor showed no involvement and reverted back the application to the doctor, allegedly adding that a university’s professor is involved in the case.

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Sharing the matter, Dr Azmi told Medical Dialogues that he is not asking the authorities to take action on the matter; “RDA is just demanding the medical institute’s management to take the responsibility of the resident doctors as well as its students.”

There are over 600 medical students for all across the country, who come to the AMU to study. These students reside in accommodations outside the campus hostel as there is an acute paucity of hostel facilities in the medical college premises. This is also in violation of the Medical Council of India (MCI) rules, doctors pointed out.

As these medical students are coming to the institute to study there, it becomes their responsibility to provide security to these students, doctors added. If these resident doctors face any such situation of assault etc, the medical college management at least should forward the complaint to the concerned authorities with verification.

Dr Azmi stated, “We are demanding a proper channel to forward our complaints to the concerned authorities. Whether they are outside matters or inside, the university should come forward to verify our identification to the police which is mandatory as per law.”

“If cases like this go on, no resident will come forward with their complaints,” he added.