After colleague’s suicide bid, SRN junior doctors go on strike

ALLAHABAD: Scores of junior doctors (JDs) on Thursday boycotted work and OPD services at SRN Hospital of MLN Medical College for more than five hours to protest against suspension and alleged harassment of their colleague Dr Pramod Kumar Gupta, who had tried to end his life on Wednesday night by consuming sleeping pills.

They resumed work after Dr Gupta’s suspension was revoked by the medical college authorities.

Dr Gupta is pursuing MD in medicine and took the drastic step outside his residence at PG Married Hostel on the hospital campus. He was admitted to the hospital ICU by family members and hostellers where his condition is stated to be stable.

Dr Gupta also wrote a seven-page ‘suicide note’ before taking the drastic step. “I have been punished for a mistake I have not committed. Two of my seniors have harassed me and even threatened to spoil my career,” he wrote in the note. He further claimed in the note that the sequence of events started on June 28 when the OBC certificate of his niece, who had come to the medical college for NEET counselling, was rejected by the authorities. On July 2, Dr Gupta received a letter from the office of the medical college principal asking him to refrain himself from clinical and teaching activities as he had been suspended and attached to the principal’s office.

MLN Medical College principal Dr SP Singh said, “During NEET counselling, Dr Gupta insisted with the counselling authorities on submitting an old certificate which is against MCI norms.”

The principal said that Dr Gupta was not suspended from the MLN Medical College, but was suspended only from clinical and teaching activities. “However, the suspension has now been revoked,” he added.