Maharshi Valmiki Hospital resident doctors call off strike after administration promises security measures within 15 days
New Delhi: The indefinite strike by resident doctors at Maharishi Valmiki Hospital over the alleged assault of doctors and female staff by a patient's kin has been called off after the hospital administration assured them that a series of security measures would be implemented within 15 days.
The administration agreed to strengthen the deployment of security personnel and addressed other demands raised by the doctors in a meeting on Tuesday. It also assured that no administrative or monetary action would be taken against doctors who participated in the protest.
After these assurances, the RDA informed the Medical Superintendent that it was calling off the strike. However, the association said it would restart the protest if the administration failed to implement the promised measures within the given 15-day period.
Medical Dialogues recently reported that the doctors, with the support of the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), launched the strike on September 14 following an alleged assault on doctors and staff by the patient's family members.
The doctors during the protest alleged that the mob attacked them with sticks and stones and tried to forcibly enter the residential quarters. They also alleged that the mob banged on the doors and threw stones at them. Female staff members at the hospital were also allegedly abused and threatened during the incident, as per the statement of the doctors.
Protesting against the alleged violence against healthcare professionals, the doctors had demanded a high-level impartial judicial inquiry into the incident, immediate arrest of those responsible and registration of an FIR by the institution. It said emergency and elective services would remain suspended until the administration took “strong and immediate action”.
At the same time, they also demanded immediate enhancement of security personnel within the hospital, proper enclosure and strengthening of hospital gates to prevent unauthorized entry and ensure controlled access, effective protection of resident doctors, nursing staff, and all healthcare workers, immediate action against those responsible for the recent incident of violence, and concrete, time-bound measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
With this, the resident doctors said that verbal assurances would not be sufficient and called for concrete action and the effective implementation of their demands.
Following this, a meeting was held between the hospital administration and the RDA on September 15. According to the minutes of the meeting, the administration agreed to immediately strengthen security personnel deployment and provide protective equipment, including wireless communication devices, helmets, batons and shields.
The hospital also committed to strengthening and enclosing its gates to prevent unauthorised entry, ensuring effective protection of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, including women staff, and taking action against those responsible for the recent violence.
Along with this, the management promised to deploy additional male and female security guards in the labour room, high dependency unit (HDU) and nursery departments.
The hospital administration also assured the resident doctors that they would not face any monetary or administrative action for taking part in the strike, as per a Hindustan Times report.
It was further decided that an internal committee with representatives from the RDA, hospital administration and concerned departments would meet every 15 days to review security issues and check whether the agreed measures were being implemented.
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