Mumbai: Nearly 544 doctors, 820 nurses instructed to prepare for poll duties, Doctors See Red

Mumbai: It came as a major shock for the medical fraternity after almost 1,800 doctors and nurses from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and civic-run medical college hospitals were instructed to prepare for election duty on May 19 and 20, 2024.

Out of the 1,800 doctors and nurses, nearly 544 doctors and 820 nurses have received orders from the collector’s office to join election duties. Almost 900 doctors and nurses from KEM Hospital, 250 from Sion, 278 from Cooper, 220 from Nair, 35 from Nair Dental and 48 from JJ got the letters.

According to several media reports, each doctor and nurse at these government medical colleges and hospitals received individual letters sent by the government authorities.

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However, Mumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar announced the cancellation of the orders given to the doctors and nurses on Wednesday, March 27 after the Deans of state- and civic-run hospitals, doctors and nurses opposed the move and the protest intensified. They refused to serve election duty by neglecting the healthcare service.

As per a TOI news report, the unexpected request to serve on election duty caught them off guard, as they were accustomed to seeing administrative, clerical, and technical staff being summoned for such responsibilities.

Not only were the doctors and nurses reluctant to execute the sudden notice, but the health department also refused to send them for poll duty and previously made the assurance to communicate with the district collector.

“We will not send our doctors and nurses on election duties. We are in the process of holding internal meetings. We will ensure that all doctors and nurses are exempted from such duties. We will be writing to the district collector asking him to revoke the orders,” said a senior official from the public health department before it was announced that the order would be revoked.

BMC Additional Commissioner Dr Sudhakar Shinde told Free Press Journal, “Even I got to know about election duties being assigned to doctors and nurses. Being essential services, assigning such duties will not only disturb the hospital environment but patients will be more affected.”

Senior officials who got letters include the Director of major hospitals and Dean of Nair Dental Dr Neelam Andrade, Dean of KEM, Sangeeta Rawat and Dean of Sion Hospital Dr Mohan Joshi, Deputy Deans, Additional and Assistant Deans, Heads of Departments, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors were given the role of Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers.

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