AHMEDABAD: Nearly 370 junior’s doctors from four municipal corporation hospitals in Ahmedabad went on a flash strike on January 23 night. But following the tough stand taken by the BIP which controls the civic body the doctors had to call off their strike within three days.
“The strike was called when student nurse alleged that two doctors had misbehaved with her and therefore the two doctors were suspended. The nurse’s version was that when she was on duty at the Vadilal Sarabhai hospital on Thursday afternoon one of the two doctors even slapped her.
Following this the nurses of the hospital struck work. But soon they returned to work when given assurance by the hospital superintendent that appropriate action would be taken on the basis of the written complaint of the student nurse against the two doctors.
The authorities then suspended the two doctors- Dr. Mukul Kothari and Dr.Umang Tripathy.
As the news of their suspension spread junior doctors of V.S. Hospital and three other city hospitals Sardaben L.G. and Nagri eye hospital-went on a flash strike on Thursday night itself.
The alleged incident of slapping took place when the two doctors told the nurse in a cabin to administer glucose drip to patient also reportedly complained against the doctors for their misbehavior.
According to the municipal commissioner P.Basu one of the two doctors was suspended earlier for misbehavior. When the junior doctors went on strike the authorities maintained the essential services of the four hospitals with the help of full time and honorary: doctors. Doctors from civic dispensaries and maternity homes: were also brought.
The outdoor departments of the: hospitals were however closed. The civic authorities waited for the doctors to come for negotiations on Friday but the striking doctors did not turn up Basu said..
Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992
