Healthcare services provided by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have been partially hit today as members of the Resident Doctors’ Association began an indefinite strike. The doctors sitting on the protest have alleged that Chief of Dr RP Center AIIMS, Dr Atul Kumar, physically assaulted one of their colleagues yesterday. The doctors are now demanding that he step down from his post.
According to ANI, protesters are saying that the ‘Strike will continue till he (accused doctor) doesn’t step down from post’. While the members of the doctor association are on a strike to demand justice for their colleague, the healthcare services provided by the premier institute have partially been affected.
While the emergency and ICU services remain operational, all routine surgeries have been cancelled. A senior officer of the administration said that the out-patient clinics are being run in a restricted manner and all academic activity and exams have been postponed indefinitely. A contingency plan has been put in place by the hospital administration for patient care services, as a part of which faculty-on-call in all clinical departments will physically man the in-patient wards.
According to the order of administration, “OPD services will function on restricted basis till such a time that normalcy is restored. Only follow-up patients with prior appointment will be registered in OPD. New Patients OPD registration will be done as per availability of faculty in respective OPD as decided by Head of Department/Unit concerned. No walk-in registration (new and old) will be done.” It further said, “Head(s) of all clinical departments will make arrangements for round-the-clock availability of doctors of speciality concerned either from research staff or by the faculty members. Under no circumstances any inpatient ward will function without physical availability of doctors of speciality concerned.”
It also stated that all routine surgeries will remain suspended and only emergency cases will be taken up for surgery. Diagnostic services will function on a restricted basis as maximum possible for the faculty.
The indefinite strike was announced by the doctors’ association yesterday. The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) has also urged that the doctor in question should not be allowed to take in thesis candidates and conduct any kind of verbal or written examination. In a statement that was released late last night, the AIIMS said the incident in question took place on Wednesday, following which the senior doctor apologised to his junior.
