Vadodara: Condemning the verbal and physical assault on a urologist, around 10000 doctors across the State suspended their outpatient department (OPD) services demanding action against the assaulters on Thursday.
Doctors associated with Vadodara Hospitals Association, IMA Vadodara, SETU, homeopath association, ayurvedic doctors' association, dental association, and physiotherapy association joined hands and did not participate in any OPD work for the entire day seeking justice for the urologist.
The protest was staged following an attack on a urologist of a private hospital in Harni. As per a recent media report, the kin of a patient allegedly resorted to violence as they were not satisfied with the treatment provided to the patient. The 70-year-old patient was under treatment in the hospital for the past few months. The attendants of the patient were not happy about the treatment and two of them allegedly started abusing the doctor. The verbal abuse soon escalated to a physical assault.
After the incident, all the medical associations became vocal about the issue of violence against healthcare professionals and demanded that strict actions should be taken against the offenders.
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Dr. Mitesh Shah, a senate member of MS University, representing the faculty of medicine told the Times of India, "The police commissioner had promised us immediate action. But if such incident is repeated then the doctors will not just shut OPD but in-patient department and emergency services too."
Meanwhile, the accused have also been arrested by Warasia police under the charges of violence and assault.
Many of the medical professionals have also posted on social media supporting the cause of the protesters.
IMA Vadodara has declared strike on 11th, tomorrow.
A urologist was physically assaulted by a relative /friend of a patient who was operated by him 4 months back. Comes to the opd and says you did not do a good surgery on my friend and slaps him thrice in his own opd.
— ®️🅰️☔📧💰♓️🅿️🅰️®️ℹ️K♓️ (@imacuriosguy) February 10, 2021
team had earlier reported that last year the government had cleared an Ordinance bringing stricter punishment on violence against doctors. The Union Cabinet amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 through an ordinance in order to ensure the safety of health workers. Any violence against health workers may now bring steep fines and even imprisonments of up to seven years.
Also Read: Govt clears Ordinance on Attack on Doctors, amends Epidemic Act to bring 7 years jail for assaulting medicos