'Resident doctors are being treated as nurses and ward boys'

All 400 resident doctors from Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, crying foul over the ‘gross injustice' towards their 12 colleagues from ophthalmology department of the hospital have called for an indefinite strike from Sunday morning. While the step is an attempt to protest the ‘torturous work environment and incessant mental harassment at the hands of department heads, Dean of the hospital, Dr T P Lahane, claimed that its an attempt of the students to divert the attention from a botched up operative complication, which resulted in sending the victim in ICU.

Dr Swapnil Meshram, General Secretary of JJ MARD, said that the step is a result of cumulative mistreatment at the hands of senior ophthalmologists. "There is absolutely no sharing of knowledge or training by the two seniors. The resident doctors are being treated as nurses and ward boys with no dignity at all. This is blatant violation of human rights, leave alone the doctors rights," said Meshram.

The residents also complained that the said injustice is going on for years what propelled them to take action in the incident where three resident doctors were blamed for an alleged medical negligence of seniors.

The doctors have demanded immediate transfer of Lahane and Parekh as well as a departmental enquiry concerning lack of surgical training and daily harassment. "Dr Lahane and Dr Parekh in pursuing their own goals have trampled upon the opportunities and aspirations of many budding ophthalmologists. We demand new faculty in the department to ensure residents are trained according to MCI guidelines," mentioned MARD in am official letter.

Talking to mid-day, Dr Lahane mentioned how the residents are attempting to shade their own mistakes. "On Monday while attending a patient, these three residents, who pursued the others for the strike, actually committed a mistake due to which the patient developed a heart block and his pulse dropped immediately. He had to be put on pacemaker, which he will have to use for the rest of his life. These three got the wind that an action would be taken against them and to divert the attention came up with the idea of strike," said Lahane.

He added that the 12 residents did a total of 790 surgeries last year and assisted the seniors for 3000 others, writing off their claims of not being given opportunities to work and learn.