MARD calls off resident doctors’ mass leave

Resident doctors had protested over various demands including new posts for senior residents and dearness allowance as per the 7th pay commission, such as here at KEM Hospital on Tuesday. Pic/ANI

The meeting between Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan and Central MARD members was fruitful, and resident doctors called off their strike on Tuesday. Central MARD President Dr Avinash Dahiphale said, "We had a meeting with Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan, and he assured us the creation of 1,432 senior resident doctors' seats across the state on a priority basis. Funds will be released at the earliest for hostel renovation and new infrastructure for accommodation for resident doctors in medical colleges. After this we decided to resume our services." The BMC MARD has also called off its members' mass leave.

The resident doctors' mass leave had entered its second day on Tuesday. But the heads of department, professors and associate professors did not let patients suffer. This can be gauged from the figures in OPDs and surgeries of patients in civic-run and government hospitals on Tuesday. There were 53 per cent more surgeries and 2 per cent more people in OPDs in major BMC hospitals on Tuesday as compared to Monday (day one of the strike). But many doctors said a few patients were asked to come next week for surgeries that are not so urgent.

Also read: Doctors strike in Maharashtra: OPD, surgeries hit

Around 7,000 resident doctors of government and civic-run medical colleges had stopped their services in the OPD and IPDs. Very few doctors were working in case of emergencies. A doctor from JJ hospital said, "We had operated on a few patients who needed emergency care, but many patients were given discharge and asked to come later when the strike is called off." A resident doctor from Cooper hospital said, "Patients who were given dates for appendix surgery were informed to come next week or 10 days later. We are only providing emergency services and also looking after those patients who are critical and admitted way back. We can't put peoples' lives at risk."

How two days of mass leave went

On Monday, a total of 103 surgeries were performed in major BMC hospitals, which increased to 220 on Tuesday. On Monday, there were a total of 8,731 patients, including those in casualty in OPD, but on Tuesday this number increased to 8,897.