The doctors in Rajasthan called off their strike after the state government consented to transfer police and administrative officials from Jodhpur. However, during the three-day long strike, 50 people lost their lives at different hospitals. But the doctors say it will be wrong to blame the deaths on the strike.
“We have called off our strike following the government’s nod to transfer officials,” says leader of the resident doctors in Jodhpur, Dr Ajay Malviya. The government has transferred additional superintendent of police, Jodhur Rajesh Singh and city magistrate Sanehlata Panwar, whom the doctors blamed for lathi charge on Saturday night in Jodhpur.
The strike had paralysed medical services at Jaipur’s SMS Medical Hospital and hospitals in five more cities of Rajasthan. In Jodhpur, 28 deaths were reported in three hospitals attached to the government-run hospitals. But principal of Medical College Hosptial, Jodhpur, Dr R.K. Aseri says none of them died unattended.
The situation took an ugly turn on Saturday night at Jodhpur Medical College Hospital a patient had a scuffle with resident doctors. The police was asked to control the situation which resulted in a fight between the police and the doctors. “The doctors were beaten up mercilessly by the police,” says Dr Sourav.