30000 Gujarat Doctors observe day's strike over hospital fire safety order, ICUs on ground floor

The Gujarat HC, while hearing public interest litigation on fire safety and other aspects in hospitals, had recently directed the state government to make sure ICUs in private hospitals were situated on the ground floor.

"The court also wants hospitals to remove glass facades of hospital buildings. Directions have also been issued for hospitals operating in buildings having no BU (Building Use) permission. The government is issuing us notices and asking us to comply within seven days. This is highly impractical," said Dr Devendra Patel, immediate past president of IMA's Gujarat chapter.

"If we shift the ICU to the ground floor, more patients will be infected. This will also decrease the number of ICU beds drastically. Thus, to give a message to the government, we gave a strike call, which was successful as over 30,000 doctors joined it," said Patel.

While emergency cases were referred to government hospitals, facilities that had patients continued to operate.

Also Read:Consider our Residency as Bond Service: 4,000 Gujarat Doctors on Strike, Shut OPD