Bihar doctors cancel agitation over CM remark

Accepting the clarification by Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi for his comment against a section of doctors, Indian Medical Association's state unit and Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) today decided to drop its agitation plans over the issue.
IMA and BHSA officials met Principal Health Secretary Deepak Kumar and discussed the issue at a joint meeting here.
"Kumar told us regarding the goodwill of the Chief Minister for us, who has already clarified about his statement through media and requested the doctors not to take the literal meaning of his words," said BHSA general secretary Ajay Kumar.
IMA and BHSA also appealed to PMCH doctors to take back their call for indefinite strike scheduled from Monday.

The chief minister's remark that hands of doctors who did not serve the poor properly should be chopped was made at a programme in East Chmparan district on Friday and has raised a controversy among the medical fraternity in the state.
Taking umbrage over it, IMA and BHSA had demanded apology from the CM and set a 24-hour deadline. However, Manjhi had clarified yesterday that his statement was nothing else but just use of an old Hindi proverb.

"The Principal Secretary also said that the suspension of Patna Medical College and Hospital(PMCH) superintendent Lakhindra Prasad has been revoked after accepting his clarification on his absence from the hospital when the chief minister suddenly visited it for inspection after the Dusshera stampede," said the BHSA general secretary.

Both IMA and BHSA also expressed satisfaction that lenient view would be taken after the transferred PMCH doctors submit their replies about their absence.
They were also assured that suspension of two doctors in the case of death of kids due to non-availability of oxygen would be postponed with immediate effect after they reply to the show cause notice issued to them.