Maharashtra Doctors Strike: State to deploy 1100 policemen in state hospitals

“If doctors want to continue their strike, then they should stay 100 feet away from hospitals, so that visiting patients can get treatment without any difficulty”.

If the doctors on duty were attacked, the expenses for their legal and medical aid would be borne by the government, the official said.

“The lives of patients are more important than your demands”, Justice Chellur said. Doctors in Delhi chose to go on strike on Thursday in solidarity.

The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) on Friday sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask for a solution to the rising number of attacks on them.

It was the second such case at the hospital in the past four days.

The Emergency ward and Out Patient Department (OPD) have been affected the most by the ongoing strike.

Resident doctors protest outside KEM hospital in Parel on Thursday.

Despite the strike, a doctor was attacked in Sion on Thursday, while one was blinded in one eye in the Dhule government hospital by the relatives of a patient.

“This mass casual leave was just an indication of what we can do to ensure our safety. Doctors should be given a healthy environment at the hospitals”, Nadda said.

The first incident of assault this month was in a hospital in Dhule, Maharashtra. It now depends on the doctors if they choose to ignore or acquiesce. “Everyone is joining. Medical services will normalise as Saturday progresses”.

As part of the protest, resident doctors will also wear black arm bands on March.

The MARD had last night appealed to the striking medical practitioners to join duty.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had came down heavily on the agitating doctors for taking “undue advantage of its sympathy”, and had asked the asked the agitating doctors to to resume work by tomorrow morning or face action.

On Friday, with concerns of faltering public health care CM Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at protesting doctors warning of strict action. However, the order was not available on the high court website till Thursday night and therefore, protesting doctors made a decision to wait.

Earlier in the day, the high court reprimanded the doctors association for not complying with its orders to resume work. They clarify repeatedly that they do not call this a strike and it is not organised by any association.

The Chief Minister directed to provide security to sensitive hospitals with armed policeman and work for a long-term plan like monitored CCTV network.