SMS Medical College Resident Doctors on Strike, protest Suspension of 3 Medicos

Jaipur: The resident doctors at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College are currently on strike protesting against the suspension of 3 postgraduate medical students in the case of the delivery of a pregnant woman outside the labour room in the hospital premises.  While the committee constituted by the authorities suspended three of the PG medicos, the doctors under the Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD), SMS Medical College have demanded withdrawal of the suspension.

Writing to the Principal of the medical college, the resident doctors informed that no PG/Superspeciality student will enter the hospital premises until their demand is met.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the incident took place last week when a pregnant woman was brought to the Kanwatia Hospital with labour pain. It was alleged that the hospital staff denied her admission and consequently, she delivered her baby outside the main gate of the hospital. The woman reportedly was in a high-risk pregnancy as her haemoglobin level was much below normal.

Following this incident, the Rajasthan Health Department immediately suspended three resident doctors after a preliminary investigation found their action as "serious negligence and insensitivity". In addition to the suspension, the department also served a show cause notice to the Medical Superintendent for supervisory negligence in the case. The three suspended doctors are PG students of the 2021 batch, 2022 batch and 2023 batch attached to the obstetrics and gynaecology department of the Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College.

The panel also sought a detailed explanation within three days on why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him.

Also Read: 3 resident doctors of Gynaecology Dept suspended after woman delivers outside Jaipur Hospital

However, the resident doctors are upset with the suspension order against the concerned medicos. Writing to the hospital authorities, the association referred to the incident and mentioned that all the PG students are "very demoralized" due to the "unilateral action taken by the committee constituted" by the medical college against the innocent PG students.

"Everyone feels that they can be falsely implicated in any case and suspended at any time, no matter who is at fault," the association mentioned in the letter.

Mentioning that no professor or gynaecologist was present over the PG students at that time, the association further added in the letter, "...when the mother started labour pain and the PG students came to know about it, they took immediate action and sent a trolley for her and took her inside the labour room and as per the rules, the students treated her to the best of their ability and got the delivery completed. After that, the mother and child have been discharged from the hospital in completely healthy condition."

"But the way only three PG students have been suspended in this case is not right in any way, due to this all the residents are angry and are scared of unnecessary action as in the past also two innocent residents were made APO, which is APO till date while no action has been taken yet against the real culprits," it further added.

Urging the authorities to cancel the action taken against the concerned innocent resident doctors the association also requested them to rectify the hospital arrangements.

Previously as well, the association had requested the college authorities to get the suspension/APO cancelled by 7th April 2024. Back then, the association had warned that if the suspension order was not cancelled, all the resident doctors would be demoralized and unable to perform their duties from 7 am on 8th April 2024.

However, no action was taken by the authorities in this regard, the association began the strike and is currently protetsing the suspension. The association mentioned in its letter that until their demand is met, "no PG/Superspeciality student will enter the hospital premises (No entry in hospitals)".

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, the President of JARD of SMS Medical College, Dr. Rajesh Kumawat said, "It is shocking that the authorities suspended three trainee resident doctors and no action was taken against any of the permanent employees."

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