Muzaffarpur May 9: Private doctors with clinics and nursing homes across Muzaffarpur district launched a 48-hour strike on Friday midnight in protest against rise in attacks on the fraternity by patients' attendants.
Close to 400 doctors with private practices are on strike against violence at a nursing home on Wednesday night. Consequently, Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital and the sadar hospital have been flooded with cases from around the district.
Jai Kishore Tiwary, a 55-year-old from Adigopalpur village, died at Bhawani Shankar Nursing Home in the Maripur area of Muzaffarpur, around 80km north of Patna, last Wednesday in the course of treatment. Attendants of the deceased ransacked the private hospital and assaulted the doctors and employees on duty. Family members of Tiwary, also fought with Durga Shankar, a doctor, who opened fire from his licenced firearm in the air to dispel the mob.
Kazi Mohammadpur police station house officer V. Mishra said: "Attendants of patient Jai Kishore Tiwary staged a protest at the nursing home around Wednesday midnight against his death. The people accused the doctors of negligence. They had a scuffle with the doctors and attacked the nursing home. FIRs were lodged by both parties."
The fraternity of private doctors, assembled under the district unit of Indian Medical Association (IMA), held an emergency meeting last night and decided on the 48-hour strike. M.M. Rahim, the IMA district president, said: "Doctors with private practices and nursing homes in the district attended the meeting and unanimously decided to close their clinics for 48 hours, starting Friday midnight. Our aim is to inculcate a good sense among the people and make them tolerant so that they do not attack doctors and target clinics and nursing homes."
Orthopaedic surgeon Suresh Kumar said: "If the patients' attendants continue to be intolerant, doctors would be forced not to look at critically ill patients at their clinics."
A delegation of the IMA also met district magistrate Anupam Kumar and senior superintendent of police Ranjit Kumar Mishra around 7pm today, added Rahim. The members submitted a memorandum to the senior officials, demanding safety and security of doctors in the district.
Following the shutdown of the private practices for 48 hours, patients have started to pour in at the outpatient department of Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Those who cannot be accommodated at the health hub are being treated at the sadar hospital, chief medical officer Gyan Bhushan said.
