JJ docs call off strike after State agrees to step up security

Mumbai: After day-long negotiations with the government, resident doctors at JJ Hospital called off their strike on Tuesday evening. While the State promised to bring about several changes, mainly in terms of security, it deployed 28 more guards at eight newly-identified sensitive areas.

Dr. Amol Hekare, secretary, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) at JJ Hospital, said they have demanded 282 security guards. “The hospital currently has 170. The remaining ones will be deployed in the next two months,” Dr. Hekare said.

Nearly 400 resident doctors had been on strike since May 19 after four relatives of a patient beat up two doctors and a staff nurse.

On Tuesday, Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan met the MARD representatives at the hospital where another round of negotiations were held. “For now we have stepped up security by 28 additional guards. Provisions are being made for more guards.” Mr. Mahajan said work on alarm system has begun and will be completed in two months.

Dr. Pravin Shingare, director of Directorate of Medical Education and Research, said guards were appointed at sensitive areas as defined by the MARD representatives after last year’s strike. “Now they feel almost all areas are sensitive. So we are trying to cover as many spots as possible. The hospital gets 10 additional guards every year,” he said, adding that 13 year ago, when he was the dean of JJ Hospital, there were only 40 guards. He also said similar measures will be implemented at GT, St. George, and Cama hospitals.

Docs, nurse discharged

The two doctors, including a female and a staff nurse, who were attacked, were discharged from the hospital on Monday. Dean Dr. S.D. Nanandkar said they are deeply affected by the incident. “The lady doctor is so shocked that she does not want to come back. We have counselled all of them.”

Dr. Nanandkar said the attacker had held the lady doctor by her neck, pinned her down to the floor, and punched her in the stomach. “Whatever has happened is terrible,” he said.

Nurses from the hospital said they also feel threatened by such incidents and additional security is a must. “In the evening, there is only one staff nurse on duty in a ward of nearly 60 patients,” a nurse said.