Bhubaneswar, Nov. 3: Brewing resentment among the medical fraternity over the dismissal of three government doctors today culminated in an en masse resignation — as many as 2,470 medicos tendered their resignation to the government.

Members of Orissa Medical Service Association had started to protest against the dismissal of Bibekanda Swain, Shantanu Kumar Sahu and Anup Kumar Nathsharma, who had allegedly cut off palms of five tribals while conducting an autopsy.

The tribals were victims of the Kalinga Nagar police firing that occurred on January 2, 2006.

The incident had created a furore among human rights groups and residents, so much so that the government had suspended the three. Subsequently, on October 24, 2008, the government dismissed them on the basis of an Orissa Human Rights Commission report, inviting ire from the medical fraternity.

The dismissed doctors have been stating that they took their step following directions from the district administration and police to preserve the identity of those killed. Government doctors serving in the 1,700 health centres, including three medical college hospitals, had skipped Diwali celebrations as a mark of their protest against the dismissal.

“We want the doctors to be treated with respect,” said panel president Madhusudhan Mishra, adding: “We have submitted our resignations and will cease work from November 9, if demands are not met.”

“Rules state that palms may be cut for finger-printing, if the deceased remains unidentified. The doctors who conducted the post-mortem were following the rule book,” said Mishra. “While persons responsible for killing the tribals went scot-free, the government targeted doctors who were performing their duty,” said the panel boss. The medicos have demanded protection at the workplace.

“To work with concentration, a doctor has to be provided a peaceful atmosphere. We demand security for doctors at the work place, especially since there have been rising instances of attacks on them,” Mishra said. Demands also include permanent outposts and 24-hour deployment of former service personnel in districts and sub-divisional hospitals, Capital Hospital and Rourkela hospital to counter the threat.