In a statement issued on Friday, Bhondwe said the IMA’s Jalgaon branch has reported that more than 6,000 OPD patients were examined daily by their doctors. (Representational)
The Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to protest against the “unwarranted, harsh and intimidating language used against doctors in Jalgaon”.
At a recent meeting called by state Health Minister Rajesh Tope, where the district collector and other government authorities were present, local MLA Gulabrao Patil allegedly blamed private doctors for the increasing number of coronavirus deaths.
Dr Avinash Bhondwe, president, IMA Maharashtra, said in the letter, “They were condemned and threatened. They were also intimidated by the authorities that if they do not work, MESMA would be applied to all these private doctors, who are keeping their clinics and hospitals closed.”
In a statement issued on Friday, Bhondwe said the IMA’s Jalgaon branch has reported that more than 6,000 OPD patients were examined daily by their doctors.
“In addition to it, nearly 650 patients are being admitted to private hospitals per day on an average. Up till now, more than 600 surgeries were carried out by IMA doctors in Jalgaon. Only 5 per cent hospitals or clinics are closed because all these doctors are more than 60-65 years of age,” Bhondwe said, urging Thackeray to look into the issue.
“These statements are an insult to our doctors at IMA who are working consistently during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
Resume non-Covid services, IMA demands
A statement issued by the IMA’s national unit said non-coronavirus services should resume in full swing. Vaccination and cancer ssurgeries are a priority, said Dr Rajan Sharma, president, IMA National HQ. The IMA has also demanded unencumbered legal immunity for doctors for the duration of the pandemics. This should be comprehensive, including criminal, civil, consumer and other liabilities, the statement said. All clinics as well as primary and secondary care nursing homes and hospitals should follow triaging and universal precautions due to unacknowledged community spread and the presence of asymptomatic patients, Sharma added.