Toxic Work Culture Allegations at JJ Hospital: Nearly 900 resident Doctors go on indefinite strike from today

Mumbai: To show support and unity for the protesting 21 resident doctors at the Sir Grant Government Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals who have been on mass leave for the past eleven days demanding the removal of the Head of the Department (HoD) of Dermatology, nearly 900 resident doctors went on an indefinite strike from today. 

The resident doctors belonging to all three batches of JJ Hospital Dermatology Department have been on mass leave from Monday i.e. December 18, 2023. The doctors are protesting against the alleged 'dictatorship' and toxic culture promoted by the department head.

Earlier this month, on December 09, 2023, the residents wrote to the Dean of the Institute highlighting the issues faced by the resident doctors in the Department of Dermatology.

It has been 20 days since the complaint was filed and 11 days since the mass leave began. The association has decided to intensify their ongoing protest if the head of dermatology, is not dismissed from his position at the hospital. They plan to boycott outpatient departments or OPD and halt emergency services. 

This was announced after the talks with the state medical education department failed. The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) previously assured the resident doctors that a two-member committee would be established to investigate the accusations made against the HOD. 

On December 19, the committee presented its findings to the medical education commissioner, leading to Dr *** being placed on a mandatory 15-day leave. However, the association asserted that the committee's efforts have not yielded any concrete outcomes.

In a letter to the Dean of the institute by the Maharashtra Group of Resident Doctors (MARD), GGMC JJH, dated December 27, the association expressed how they are grappling with an overwhelming and distressing situation due to the toxic culture at the Dermatology department gathering the courage to confront the challenges and reported their grievances to higher authorities.

"It has now been 19 days since the filing of the complaint and 10 days into their mass leave, yet a resolution remains elusive. Despite initial promises, the committee's formation was delayed, and as of now, no tangible results have emerged. 

Enduring mental torture, harassment, and threats under Dr. ***'s leadership, they faced challenging situations managing relatives during incidents of mismanagement in the ward. Despite realizing that things weren’t right and weren’t in the best interest of the patients, they were compelled to work under the directives of their HOD. They went through all the stress and torture till they couldn’t take it anymore," reads the letter. 

"This prolonged ordeal is taking a severe toll on the residents academically and professionally, exacerbating the already compromised state of their mental health. It is imperative to provide these residents with the justice they deserve, and the only viable solution is the removal of Dr *** from the department. While time lost in distress and turmoil cannot be compensated, justice is the least they seek. The residents have exhaustively pursued all available channels, united in their courage to speak the truth and trust in the process. However, patience is running thin as the situation continues to escalate," the letter further reads. 

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Abhijit Helge, Vice President of MARD said, "Today marks the 11th day of the mass leave, during which neither the administration nor the government have taken any measures against the Head of Department (HOD). Consequently, all the residents of JJ Hospital have unanimously decided to unite in solidarity and commence the strike. The strike has already begun and we will continue it until the HOD is removed from the department."

"The resident doctors are currently experiencing significant mental and physical hardships as a result of the toxic environment within the department. Over the past eleven days, they have been caught in a state of dilemma and enduring immense mental stress," he added.

"Despite having filed a complaint against the Head of Department (HOD), the resident doctors have reported being subjected to threats from the HOD. The HOD threatened the resident doctors saying "Mein kuch din bad Dean banunga fir tum logo ko dekhunga" (I will become the dean after a few days and then I will see you guys.)"- Dr Abhijit further said.

On December 26, the protesting resident doctors of Mumbai’s JJ Hospital’s Dermatology Department met Maharashtra’s Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif at the Mantralaya to highlight their demands. "He assured us that he would undertake the required measures. We hold a strong belief that the government will promptly address the issue; otherwise, we may escalate our protest," said Dr Abhijit.

Urging the government to be sensitive on the issue of mental health of the doctors, Dr Abhijit said "The government should be sensitive towards the matter of mental health and toxicity and they need to take immediate action whenever such complaints are raised in future."

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported about the MARD demanding the removal of Dr. *** from the Department of Dermatology to ensure a mentally healthy and sound working environment in the department where patient care and academic culture are prioritised.

Also read- Toxic Work Culture Allegations Rocks JJ Hospital: Resident Doctors Removal Of HOD Dermatology, Threaten Indefinite Strike