Patients visiting government hospitals for treatment had to face inconvenience on Thursday with doctors going on leave en masse in protest against action taken against Civil Surgeon Dr RK Gupta in Bilaspur in connection with the recent sterilization tragedy. The decision on mass leave was taken in response to a call of State Unit of Indian Medical Association and Chhattisgarh Government Doctors Association.
Although Doctors Association had called for staging demonstration while wearing black stripes instead of going on leave en masse, the doctors in Raipur district hospital and government hospitals in Arang and Tilda blocks abstained from works.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Raipur Dr KR Sonwani said that services in hospitals in two out of four development blocks in Raipur district remained disrupted. In Raipur district hospital the doctors worked wearing black stripes at OPD till 11 am as mark of protest. Subsequently they came out of hospital and went back to their homes. In Arang government hospital, four out of six doctors availed contingency leave. In Tilt government hospital too four out of five doctors were on leave whereas hospitals in Daresay and Abhanpur functioned smoothly.
The impact of IMA call for mass leave was seen more in Bilaspur district. Health officers said that sterilization tragedy led to widespread public resentment against the doctors. Patients in government hospitals in Bilaspur and development blocks in the district had to run from pillar to post for treatment with doctors abstaining from works, although Health Director R Prasanna had told all CMHOs to make alternative arrangements for the day.
According to sources nearly 1500 doctors all over the state had gone on leave en masse. Meanwhile the Doctors Association has convened a state level meeting on November 25 to discuss strategy for future course of action. Doctors in 152 community health centres and 738 primary health centres in all 27 districts of state remained absent in support of the demand for release of Dr Gupta.
