2,500 resident doctors strike work; seniors, nurses pitch in to handle load

MUMBAI: On Tuesday at 11 am, around 2,500 resident doctors from the civic and state-run KEM, Nair, Sion, Cooper and JJ hospitals began their indefinite suspension of work to participate in a protest at KEM Hospital for justice for a doctor who was sexually assaulted and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. The protest, organised by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (BMC-MARD) began with slogans and posters that read ‘Her Pain, Our Voice’ and ‘Justice Delayed is Justice Denied’ at the main entrance of the hospital.
Following the crime on August 9, resident doctors across the country launched a protest on Tuesday. The residents are seeking justice as well as the fulfilment of other demands such as the immediate appointment of a central agency to investigate the case and the establishment of a Central Protection Act to provide legal safeguards for healthcare workers. The residents have also demanded an urgent audit of security measures at medical institutions, with a MARD representative present during the process, and a thorough review of hospital surveillance systems for total coverage and proper monitoring.
“After what happened in Kolkata, we female resident doctors are scared since we work here for so many hours,” said Neha Shet, a resident doctor at KEM Hospital. “If we are not safe even in our own working space, what’s left? We need different duty rooms for males and females. This is one case in Kolkata, but there are hundreds that go unnoticed.”
While the protest was still going on, BMC hospitals ensured alternative arrangements, with the senior resident doctors stepping in to manage patients for the day. The seniors showed solidarity with the protesting resident doctors by wearing black armbands while on duty. Elective surgeries were postponed and only emergency surgeries were carried out.
“The Kolkata crime is being called Nirbhaya 2.0,” said Dr Devanand J, member of MARD. “Where are women safe? Not at bus stops, not at railway stations and now not in the workplace either. We are celebrating 78 years of Independence but where is the freedom for women to be safe in this nation? We demand justice and security for doctors everywhere.”
Despite the protest, the hospitals recorded patients coming in, who were handled with the help of senior resident doctors, nurses and ward boys. Services such as sonographies and ECGs were available only for emergency cases.
According to a report sent by the hospitals at 3 pm on August 13, KEM saw 55 patients in Casualty OPD and conducted 38 major and 62 minor surgeries. Sion Hospital attended to 244 Casualty OPD patients and did 25 minor surgeries. Nair Hospital treated 132 Casualty patients and conducted three major and three minor surgeries. Cooper Hospital saw 45 patients in Casualty, and conducted 23 major and four minor surgeries. JJ Hospital saw 2,216 OPD patients, 119 Casualty patients, 70 ICU patients and conducted six deliveries.
“Unfortunately, as of now, the strike has not been called off,” said additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar. “I have urged the deans of all hospitals to have a discussion with MARD, because this is absolutely going to affect patients who go there. I’m also assuming that people aware of the protest might stay back at home rather than come to hospitals, but we can’t keep doing only emergency services and postponing other surgeries.”
The public did experience hindrances due to the unavailability of sonography and ECG tests, as many of them were not aware of the protest. “I have no idea what is happening,” said Nadeema Shaikh, a pregnant woman who visited KEM hospital. “I came here to get my sonography done but it was closed. I was given today’s date but nobody informed me about this (suspension of work). Now I have to wait until I am given a new date.”