Violence against Doctors: AIIMS RDA demands removal of Anant Hegde from Cabinet
NEW DELHI: The resident doctors of the AIIMS demanded the removal of Anant Kumar Hegde, who was inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, saying he has a history of physical violence against the medical practitioners.
President of the Resident Doctors' Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Dr Harjit Bhatti said that the prime minister's move to induct Hegde as the Minister of State for Skill Development has developed a sense of insecurity among the doctors.
Bhatti, in his letter to Modi, said that doctors had gained confidence after the prime minister had raised the issue of violence against the medical practitioners from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 and urged people to follow Mahatma Gandhi's path and stop violence against the doctors.
"But you have shattered the feeling of security. We doctors again feel insecure when you inducted a tainted minister into your cabinet who has a history of physical violence against doctors," he said in the letter.
The doctors, sought expedition of the process of enquiry and fair trial against Hedge, alleging he had assaulted doctors and staff in January at Sirsi hospital over an alleged delay in treatment.
The assault was captured by CCTV cameras and a case was registered against Hegde.
"We were expecting a fair enquiry and conviction, but he was rewarded and made a minister. This step is definitely against the medical fraternity as it portrays that you reward an assaulter of doctors," Bhatti said while urging the PM to review his decision in the best interest of doctors and the public.
The AIIMS RDA, a body of around 1,500 doctors, also sought an apology from Hegde.
Here are the excerpts from the letter to PM Narendra Modi requesting him to removal of Anata Hegde from the Cabinet Minister's post
"According to the surveys conducted in various hospitals, it was found that 75% of doctor's face violence at workplace. Statistics suggest that in India, there is 1 government allopathic doctor for every 10,189 people, one government hospital bed for every 2,046 people and one state-run hospital for every 90,343 people. An epidemic is not required for the public health system to collapse. It is a matter of routine that patients share beds and doctors are overworked. It is the frustration of patients towards the government which we doctor bear on ourselves. We are working in an environment of continuous stress, threat and are frightened with the furious behaviour of the patient attendant's towards our community.We doctor's gained confidence and a feeling of security after your speech of 29/09/2017 where you requested people of India to follow Mahatma Gandhi's path and stop, violence against doctors. But you shattered that feeling of security and we doctor's again felt insecure when you inducted a tainted minister into your cabinet who has u history of physical violence against doctors.Anant Kumar Hegdc. BJP MP from Karnataka has assulted Dr. Madhukeshwar, Dr Balachandra Bhatt and hospital staff Rahul in Januar, 2017 at Sirsi Hospital over the alleged delay in treatment. The assault was captured in CCTV camera and there was a case registered against him. we were, expecting a fair enquiry and conviction but instead, he get a reward of being a cabinet minister.This step is definitely against medical fraternity as it portrays that you reward an assaulter of doctors with a Cabinet rank This step can increase violence against doctors and it will further scare the already frightened fraternity."
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