Medical Council serves notice to 2 junior doctors on COVID Patient death; medicos, teachers see Red

This further led to further condemnation by the Madhya Pradesh Medical Teachers' Association (MPMTA) which then decided to observe a massive strike, voicing solidarity with the two doctors. The aggravated doctors started demanding an immediate roll-back of the show-cause notice and strict action against the concerned officer. The medicos of the medical college and various other medical organisations including IMA, JUDA, MOA showed support.

The collector's pressure to respond to the notice alleging negligence mounted in wake of an incident where a 43-year-old patient was brought to the hospital on August 17 with mild Covid-19 symptoms. He was admitted to the OPD ward and was treated accordingly. After taking his COVID samples and as per the COVID-19 treatment protocol, he was shifted to the COVID care center. However, his condition worsened after 2 days. When he was brought in the operation ward, he was found dead.

Following the death of the patient, the Collector of Sagar issued a notice through the State council to the doctors alleging negligence and threatening to revoke their licenses, despite the issuance of the regulations regarding COVIDI9 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) under The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh as;

"Protection to persons acting under the Act: No suit or legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything done or intended to be done in good faith under this Act unless proved otherwise."

Standing in support, the fellow doctors threatened to go on an indefinite strike to protest against the notice. The strike was scheduled for October 2020, 8 onwards by the aggravated doctors, wherein, all their services (both COVID and non-COVID) would have been discontinued.

Clarifying on the incident, the President of the central body of MPMTA Dr Sunil Agrawal stated, "Even after Dean's report, Collector of Sagar has added his opinion as negligence done by doctors and sent a notice through state medical council to Dr Pallavi Mishra and Dr Gaurav Tiwari with the threat that their registration will be canceled if they failed in giving a satisfactory reply." "Indian Medical Association, Junior Doctors' Association, Medical Officers' Association and others associations also supported us," he added.

He added that how an IAS can ignore a Dean's opinion over the treatment of a patient.

Meanwhile, JDA said in a press release issued by its media spokesperson Priyash Jain stated, "JDA Indore stands in support of JDA Sagar and henceforth declares the cessation of work from Thursday onwards till further notice. However, emergency services and all intensive care units will continue to function."

Also Read: Laxity In Compliance Of COVID-19 Protocols: Two Doctors Removed From Post In Chhattisgarh

The proclamation of cessation of work to observe a strike by various medical associations including the Madhya Pradesh Medical Teachers' Association, The Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of M.G.M. Medical College's M. Y. Hospital, and others would have adversely impacted the health services in government-run hospitals attached to medical colleges amid the COVID-19 crisis.

However, the doctors have now called off the strike after the Minister took cognizance of the issue and spoke to medical teachers and assured them to look into their demands.

Vice president JUDA Dr Saurabh Mishra told Free Press Journal, "JUDA delegation called on medical education minister Vishwas Sarang who assured to look resolve the issue cropped up in Bundelkhand medical college(BMC) of Sagar."

Commenting on the incident, Agrawal told the daily, "We are working for the last six months tirelessly to save the patients and to take the state in a better situation. But, some bureaucrats are putting unnecessary pressure on the doctors without any fault."