HC Seeks Details of Recent Jr. Doctors' Strike
Patna: May 31, 2007
The Patna High Court, on Thursday, took serious exception to the recent spat between Rekha Modi, the cousin of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, and Parveen Amanullah, the wife of state Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah that led to a lightening strike by the junior doctors of Patna Medical College Hospital (Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dr. J. N. Bhatt and Justice Shailesh Kumar directed the government to submit a full report in the incident involving misbehavior by some of the junior doctors after Modi and Amanullah, as the member of an NGO, reprimanded them for failing to perform their duties in diligent manner.
"These doctors resort to strike at the drop of a hat. This causes much inconveniences to the patients already admitted in the hospital while also leading to deaths," the bench observed while ordering the state government to submit a report on such incidents.
The court directed the government to furnish the report by July 9.
It may be recalled that seven patients were reported dead in the lack of adequate care in the neurosurgery ward after the junior doctors went on a strike following their row with Modi and Amanullah.
In an earlier letter written to PatnaDaily.Com, Dr. D. S. Nag of the PMCH, while admitting seven persons died during their strike, blamed the media for failing to explore the reasons behind the deaths.
Dr. Nag also accused the two women of trying to obtain government funding for their NGO while pretending to be the champions of the causes of patients.
Meanwhile, both Modi and Amanullah continued their attack on the quality of health care available at the PMCH.
At a press conference in Patna on Thursday, the duo asked Health Minister Chandramohan Rai to put on a disguise and visit the hospital when the doctors and other officials are not expecting him.
"This is the only way to find out for sure what goes on in the hospital," Modi said adding no senior doctors are to be found in the hospital after noon and hardly any doctor makes rounds in the evening.
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