Bombay High Court to hear PIL against doctor strike tomorrow

The Bombay High Court will take up a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Afaq Mandaviya on Tuesday, seeking to restrain resident doctors from going on strike.

Advocate Datta Mane appearing on Mandaviya's behalf said, "We have sought directions that doctors strike be declared illegal and restrain them from avoiding duty." He also added that protesting against recent violence cases, doctors have already stopped working. 

Thus, the issue of safety of doctors in government and corporation run hospitals will be taken up before the court. Last year while hearing a similar petition, Maharashtra government had assured 24x7 police security to 16 hospitals in the state apart from police deployment at six hospitals in Mumbai for security of resident doctors.

The assurance was given after Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) told the court that no proper security measures were adopted in public hospitals and doctors were working under immense pressure.  MARD had last year also held a strike to protest against physical assault on resident doctors by relatives of patients.