Doctors in Maharashtra on strike to protest assaults

NAGPUR: Private medical practitioners in Maharashtra observed a token strike on Friday to protest the growing incidents of assaults on their fraternity members and the government's failure in enacting a law for their protection, an Indian Medical Association (IMA) spokesperson said.

Private practitioners kept their clinics and consultancies shut while hospitals refused to entertain cases in the out-patient departments or admit new cases except emergencies, IMA president-elect and state unit member Ashok Adhao said.

Doctors in government hospitals have been urged to wear black badges on duty he said, claiming a "fairly good" response to the association's appeal.

"Only a small number of cases of assaults on doctors get reported as the victims themselves are reluctant to make police complaints," Adhao said.

Pointing out that it was only a token strike wherein care was being taken not to inconvenience patients or neglect emergencies, Adhao said the objective of the IMA was to highlight the members’ plight to the society and the authorities.

While silent sit-in demonstrations were held in various cities, including Nagpur, Pune and Chandrapur, doctors took out a silent procession in Aurangabad.