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On Monday morning, resident doctors at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in New Delhi set on an indefinite strike but left the emergency services functional after a patient was shot dead while receiving medical attention.
Inside a ward of the GTB Hospital on Sunday, a 32-year-old man was shot and killed by a teenager in front of doctors and his family. After being brought to the hospital on June 23, Riyazuddin, the victim, was receiving care for an abdominal infection.
Three doctors were in ward 24 when the attacker pushed one aside and shot Riyazuddin, according to the doctors at the government-run hospital in Delhi.
Junior doctors are leading the strike, which is backed by the Delhi Nursing Federation and other organizations. The protesters raised signs, calling for an enhancement of the hospital's security measures.
According to a member of the RDA, the hospital's outpatient department, labs, and other departments are closed, and the doctors are only handling emergency patients.
Another member stated, "We are arranging everything for the association so we can stay on strike until our voices are heard by the administration department and the government."
He declared that the RDA will not back down from its demands for safety.
The protesters alleged that even though the administration had previously accepted their demands, security personnel had not received any training, and security measures had not yet been improved.
The RDA received a letter from the hospital administration requesting a meeting. The association responded by saying that all of its members and the striking doctors would debate the matter in front of the media, not in a room with only two or three people.
The RDA asserted that the administration was against this.
The hospital's RDA declared an indefinite walkout on Sunday, claiming that the Delhi government had ignored its long-standing demand for sufficient protection for doctors.
"Our repeated appeals for enhanced security have been ignored, culminating in this tragic event (patient's killing). Until the Delhi Government ensures a secure environment for everyone within the hospital, we cannot continue our duties," stated in a statement by an RDA representative.
"The strike will continue until fundamental improvements in security are effectively implemented and communicated," the statement said.
Additional doctors' bodies also condemned the death of the patient in the hospital ward.
A security review of all hospitals will be carried out and no negligence will be tolerated.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, Health Minister, Delhi
According to the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), the incident was a "mafia-like killing."
The recent incident of violence at GTB Hospital underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures for our doctors.
Aviral Mathur, President of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA)
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Priyanka Pandey)
