Over 1,700 docs in city mass bunk

[1]

The Maharashtra Associ-ation Resident Doctors (Mard) doctors went on mass leave on Tuesday. Until late on Tuesday there were no negotiations held between Mard and the government to reach a compromise on the issue. Over 3,500 doctors across the state and 1,700 in the city struck work.
The agitation is likely to continue on Wednesday too. However, the medical education minister has given Mard 24 hours time to resume their duty and has threatened action under Essential Services Maintenance Act (Esma), if they fail to do so. The mass bunk of the resident doctors has led to postponing of more than 200 planned surgeries in the three major civic hospitals in the city.
The pregnant Kavita Dongre (24), was referred to Sion Hospital from Thane Civil Hospital, as it was a risky delivery, but she was turned away. “Doctors asked me to go to JJ Hospital for my delivery as the doctors are on strike. This is the third hospital I have come to,” said Ms Dongre, a Bhiwandi resident.
Sion Hospital, which conducts around 40 to 50 deliveries daily, on Tuesday, conducted only five deliveries.
“We are only admitting emergency cases; the others were referred to JJ Hospital or private hospitals,” said a doctor. The wards as well as out-patient departments wore a deserted look at Sion, KEM and Nair hospitals.
As against 50 surgeries, Sion Hospital on Tuesday performed only eight surgeries. Similarly, KEM Hospital doctors operated only on 23-odd patients. “Out of our 639 resident doctors, 473 have not turned up for duty. The hospital has declared that our senior doctors will be on duty throughout the day so that our patients are not affected,” Dr Milind Salve, deputy dean of KEM Hospital, Parel.
When contacted, dean of JJ Hospital Dr T.P. Lahane said, “It is true that my residents have decided not join the agitation and instead reported to work on Tuesday. I am proud of them.”
According to the doctors, Mard has resorted to the agitation after the government failed to meet their six primary demands ranging from an increase in payment to resumption of scholarship for OBCs.