AIIMS resident doctors stage indefinite strike, OPD, OT services likely to take a hit

The Resident Doctors' Association at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi is staging an indefinite strike to demand immediate removal of a faculty member who allegedly slapped a resident doctor.

The indefinite strike was launched yesterday at 5 pm. The strike will affect the hospital's outpatient department (OPD) and the services at the operation theatre.

ALL ABOUT THE DOCTORS' STRIKE AT AIIMS TODAY:

1. The alleged incident took place on April 25 when a faculty member slapped a resident doctor at AIIMS hospital. The faculty member, Dr Atul Kumar, has reportedly apologised to the resident doctor.
2. The Resident Doctors' Association, however, has demanded the faculty memeber's "immediate resignation as Chief of Dr RP Centre, AIIMS". The RP Centre at AIIMS is meant for ophthalmic sciences.
3. A notice by the Resident Doctors' Association says, "Due to casual dealing of Professor Dr Atul Kumar by the authorities who has physically assaulted a resident doctor, we have no option but to preserve our self-respect and stop working".
4. "Not only has Professor Dr Atul Kumar failed to lead by example, his repeated misbehaviour has tarnished the student-teacher relationship," the notice, signed by president of Resident Doctors' Association, says.
5. As part of the contingency measures, OPD services at AIIMS will function in a restricted manner till normalcy is restored. Only follow-up patients with prior appointment will be registered in OPD while registration of new patients will be done as per availability of the faculty.
6. Routine operation theatre (OT) services will remain suspended and only emergency cases will be taken up for surgical operations. Diagnostic services will also function in a restricted manner.
7. According to a statement put out by AIIMS medical superintendent, heads of all clinical departments will make arrangements for round-the-clock availability of doctors of concerned speciality either from research staff or by faculty members. "Under no circumstances, any inpatient ward will function without physical availability of doctors of concerned speciality," says the AIIMS statement.