Outlook (July 10, 2019)A new contempt of court petition was filed by PBT against the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Ministry of Health for the nation-wide doctors’ strike last month (see news below). Doctors went on a nation-wide strike on 17th June, 2019 to express solidarity to the Kolkata doctors who were continuing strike to protest alleged attack on some junior doctors at NRS Medical College by some friends and relatives of a patient who died due to alleged medical negligence. Although PBT never condones physical violence on doctors and hospitals even in the event of genuine medical negligence, innocent patients should not be held at ransom by doctors’ strike that disrupts hospital services and brings endless pain, suffering and death to the ailing citizens.
Following a “doctors’ strike” in 2012 when a number of patients had died in Delhi, PBT filed a PIL against the IMA in the Supreme Court (SC W.P. No. 253/2012) when the Apex Court had categorically held that doctors should not go on strike under any condition. Despite such unequivocal observation from the Supreme Court, IMA showed no regard to the Apex Court’s judgment when they called another nation-wide doctors’ strike last month in a clearly contemptuous display against the Apex Court. PBT has filed this PIL this week to hold IMA and Health Ministry in contempt of the Apex Court. PBT president Dr. Kunal Saha is in India to plead for victims of medical negligence in different consumer courts and it is expected that he will appear before the Supreme Court to argue the “contempt” case in the next couple of weeks.
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Hats off to Dr. Saha for being the voice of helpless patients.
Does the IMA/MCI expect all the victims of medical negligence to behave like me ? I waited for more than a yr to get details of d docs from Apollo Gleneagles Hospital. I waited for more than 5 yrs to know that d name and reg no of d duty doctor given to me by d medical director, Dr.V.R.Ramanan was not only wrong but part of a high level conspiracy. I waited 8 yrs for disposal of my case by the MCI by non speaking orders. Even after 10 yrs, I am nowhere ! Probably my wait ll over-live me, the way my court cases are going on !
I get saddened to know about d incidence of violence at d workplace and I highly condemn such incidence. At the same time I have strong conviction that no strike, law or any security arrangement is going to solve this problem. Yes, we can definitely reduce such ugly incidences if we try to regain lost trust of the public in this profession.
I have immense respect for Dr. Saha. He is fighting this battle single handedly. Recently a young engineer lost his finger in a road accident. But to his surprise CMRI has lost that finger which was needed to be fixed. What a shame nowadays this profession is bringing. The apron can not hide the shame.
In order to set things right and overcome mess in almost all fronts what all the regulatory bodies need most is decent staff in the respective fields whose honest y and integrity should be beyond question. But all concerned are not doing the needful.
Thank God there’s someone to file such petitions in the court and be judicially active for the poor citizens of India.
I believe for certain section of the Indian society, law has become optional. They want legal procedure to be followed in case of physical assault to them however at the same time they find it alright to completely ignore the law, go on a strike and let helpless patients suffer or even die!
My family is also a victim of medical negligence. I’ve started the petition “Medical Council of India, Lilavati Hospital: Cancel License, expel Corrupt Nephrologist Hemant Mehta, Prashant Rajput who killed my Mom”.
Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now. Here’s the link:
http://www.change.org/p/medical-council-of-india-lilavati-hospital-cancel-license-expel-corrupt-nephrologist-hemant-mehta-prashant-rajput-who-killed-my-mom
Thanks!
Parag