Cops at Jamnagar hosp, NCH restricts intake

Rajkot/Surat/Vadodara: The impasse continued between the striking resident doctors of government hospitals and the state government till late on Saturday even as police was called in at Jamnagar’s GG Hospital as a precaution ‘to maintain law and order’.
While Jamangar doctors claimed that the electricity and water connection to their hostels were cut by the authorities, doctors at the Surat’s New Civil Hospital (NCH) said that admissions to the hospital has been restricted to only critical patients due to shortage of staff.
The doctors are on strike for the last four days over the demand for the 1:2 bond period was for the Covid duty. The government’s stand is that as the cases have reduced steadily from mid-May, the duty period of doctors cannot be termed as double for the calculation of bond period.
About 400 junior resident doctors in Jamnagar and 350 in Rajkot civil hospital have joined the strike. Gaurav Khaidya, a junior doctor at Jamnagar’s G G Hospital said, “How did the police enter the college premises without the dean's permission? The college authority has issued our transfer orders and asked us to vacate the hostel. They also cut the water connection and electricity last night.”
However, a senior cop said that the police was deployed was at G G Hospital as there was a function to inaugurate an oxygen plant there where a number of VIP guests were present. “Hence to maintain law and order the cops have been deployed. They will leave as soon as the function is over,” the senior cop said.
Ravi Kothari, doctor at Rajkot civil hospital said “We are agitating against our transfers.” The state government had on Friday issued transfer orders for junior doctors and asked them to vacate the hostel rooms.
Resident doctors at state-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara continued their strike even as efforts made to resolve the deadlock failed miserably on Saturday as well.
Although based on the state government’s directive, dean of Medical College, Baroda Dr Tanuja Javadekar had issued notices on Friday evening asking the junior residents to vacate the hostel premises, the junior doctors remained firm that they will not leave the hostel premises. Till Saturday evening, no force was used to get the hostel premises vacated.
Meanwhile, three officials including medical superintendent of SSG Hospital professor Ranjan Aiyer, dean of Medical College, Baroda Javadekar and dean of Faculty of Medicine Dr Hemant Mathur met health commissioner Jai Prakash Shivahare along with representatives of other medical colleges of the state.
“The commissioner is insisting that we influence and convince the resident doctors to wind up the strike. He insisted that any negotiations will take place only after the strike is withdrawn,” said an official who was part of the meeting.
Earlier in the day, the agitating doctors and interns took out a massive rally to press for their demands. The state-run hospital is facing extreme shortage of manpower even as workforce from PHCs and CHCs has been roped in.
“We have made alternative arrangements but no additional workforce can compensate for the 450 residents,” Aiyer admitted.
In Surat, about 400 resident doctors at NCH continued their strike till their demands are not met. “We have asked for medical officers from the health department. A few tutors and non-clinical assistant professors have been assigned the duties to handle patients,” said an official of NCH.