SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 22: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA), the frontal organization of state government doctors, called off their state-wide strike at 10 am after the arrest of four accused who had assaulted Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) Jamshedpur’s doctor Dr Kamlesh Oraon.
IMA state president Dr AK Singh said that both the Jamshedpur SDM and the City SP informed the IMA state body about the arrest of four culprits. The Jamshedpur chapter of IMA and the JHSA confirmed the arrest. So, the IMA and the JHSA decided to call off the work boycott agitation.
“Since the main demand of Jamshedpur IMA (arresting of culprits) has been fulfilled today in the morning we finally decided to call off the state-wide work boycott agitation. I thank all the members of IMA, JHSA, Junior Doctors Association (JDA), AHPI, Tribal Doctors Association for extending support,” said Dr AK Singh, IMA state president.
The IMA and the JHSA had on Thursday served a notice of indefinite work boycott to the Jharkhand Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Health and RIMS director, Deputy Commissioners and Civil
Surgeons of all 24 districts from 6 am on Friday in the state if the assaulters of MGMMCH doctor are not arrested.
MGMMCH doctor Dr Kamlesh Oraon was brutally assaulted and seriously injured by attendants after the death of a critical child patient on Tuesday night.
In protest of the incident, the Jamshedpur IMA, JHSA and doctors of MGMMCH went on strike on Wednesday demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits. On Thursday, the state body of IMA, JHSA, JDA also jumped in support of the Jamshedpur doctors. IMA president Dr AK Singh, Secretary Dr Pradip Kumar Singh, JHSA president Dr PP Shah and secretary Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh jointly served the work boycott notice to the government.
The Junior Doctors Association of Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) and the Tribal Doctors Association also supported the work boycott agitation at medical colleges and government health centres.
Thousands of patients heaved sighs of relief following the strike call-off as they had come to hospitals of medical colleges and government health centres across the state for treatment. Though doctors were present in the OPD at the scheduled time, they attended only emergency cases. However, at 10 am, the IMA informed all about calling off the strike.
