Chandigarh, June 17, 2019: Indian Medical Association Chandigarh in association with IMA Mohali and Resident Doctors of Government Medical College Chandigarh today held a Press Conference on the issue of violence against doctors in hospitals.
IMA Chandigarh has submitted a memorandum of their demands including for immediate adoption of an existent state law for prevention of violence against doctors and creation of a Hotline with a Quick Response Team headed a senior police official ,to pre-empt such incidents, to the senior administrative officers of the city. A protest march was also taken out in evening in association with Resident doctors and faculty of PGIMER along with doctors of GMSH Sector 16 to sector 17 Plaza.
The Press conference was preceded by a protest meeting of members at the Dr P N Chuttani Memorial IMA Complex Sector 35 Chandigarh.
Joining the nationwide agitation demanding strict action against culprits responsible for brutal attack on doctors in West Bengal recently, Dr Rajesh Dhir President Indian Medical Association, Chandigarh gave a call to it’s members for total withdrawal of non-essential services for a period by 24 hours from 06:00 AM on 17th June to 06:00 AM to 18th June, 2019. Except for emergency services, all Regular OPD services, Radiology and laboratories remained closed across the tricity.
Dr Hardeep S Santokh Secretary IMA Chandigarh said that this step was necessary as the West Bengal Government was continuing to be adamant in its approach playing vote bank politics and giving the episode a communal twist. IMA Chandigarh supports the genuine demands of the west Bengal doctors and the 24 hour shutdown is just a glimpse of what could follow if issues raised by IMA on this issue for past many years are not addressed.
Dr Sushil Gupta Ex President IMA Chandigarh said that more than one thousand senior doctors had resigned from Government Hospitals faced with the in human treatment meted out to their junior colleagues. He said that IMA has a zero tolerance policy against violence on doctors and healthcare establishments and a Central Prevention of Violence against Medicare Services persons and Establishment Act has been a long pending demand of the association. Dr Neeraj Kumar Immediate past President IMA Chandigarh said that this law should be stringent enough to act as a deterrent.