Indian Medical Association demands release of jailed doctor, nurses

Firefighters inspect a ward of civil hospital in Ahmednagar, on November 6. File pic

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has demanded the release of a jailed student doctor and three nurses arrested following the fire incident at Ahmednagar civil hospital. Fourteen patients were killed after fire erupted in the COVID-19 ICU on November 6.

Its Maharashtra branch has asked the state government to commence a threadbare study on this incident with the objective to formulate practical guidelines to prevent such occurrences in the future, for which the IMA is ready to extend its support.

Charred remains at the ICU where COVID patients were being treated

"This unfortunate incident exposes the collective responsibility of the government, administration, allied departments of engineering, and maintenance. However, it is extremely painful to know that a doctor and nurses involved in the medical care of the patients in the ICU have been accused with charges of negligence," said Dr Jayesh Lele, secretary, IMA.

He said doctors and nurses should not be treated as scapegoats just to project some action.

‘Speaks volumes about system'

"While the specialised task departments like Fire, Electricity and PWD exist in all government institutions, action against doctors and nurses is nothing but swaying away from responsibilities by the machinery. Mechanisms of fire audit, maintenance and fire fighting are allocated responsibilities of these specialised departments undoubtedly. If doctors and nurses can be arrested without any complete enquiry and be slapped with responsibilities that they are not accountable for, it speaks volumes about the system," said Dr Lele.

He pointed out that when such fire incidents take place in private hospitals, their owners are taken to task by the authorities, however, in government hospitals, the unfortunate postgraduate student doctor and nurses are arrested and put in jail.

"The IMA extends its complete support to this agitation for justice. Instead of knee-jerk reactions, it is time for all stakeholders concerned to audit the safety norms on physical infrastructure, violence prevention and ensure adequate funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the equipment to ensure patient safety," said Dr Lele.

Charges against staff

A senior fire official of the Ahmednagar civic body had claimed that the hospital lacked various fire safety measures suggested by them.

Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in the district have protested the unwarranted arrest on November 8 of Dr Vishakha Shinde and staff nurses Sapna Pathare, Asma Shaikh and Channa Anant. They have been booked on charges of negligence and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Ahmednagar (rural) Superintendent of Police Manoj Patil had earlier said that Dr Shinde was on duty [when the fire broke out] but she failed to report the incident, and a probe found that the nurses were outside the ICU. The staff nurses are not supposed to leave the ICU, Patil said.

Nov 8
Day the doctor, 3 staff nurses were arrested

With inputs from Agencies