Resident doctors at AIIMS-Patna call off strike over MLA 'misbehaviour'

The Resident Doctors Association said, 'The abeyance of our strike shall be with immediate effect from today in view of the larger public interest and our moral responsibility towards patient care'

Resident doctors of AIIMS-Patna, who are on indefinite strike in protest against alleged misbehaviour of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand, on Tuesday called off their cease work "for 10 days".

In a statement issued late in the evening, the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) said, "The abeyance of our strike shall be with immediate effect from today in view of the larger public interest and our moral responsibility towards patient care." 

  The RDA also said that it was "satisfied that an FIR has been filed promptly" against Chetan Anand and his security guard, who allegedly roughed up resident doctors last week.

"This abeyance is not a withdrawal of our stance but a responsible step taken in good faith and in the larger public interest. We remain vigilant and united, and we trust the administration will uphold its assurances in both letter and spirit", said the statement, adding that "We will review the situation after ten days and take further decisions accordingly."  The RDA said most of its key demands have been duly acknowledged and acted upon. 

 

"An FIR has been filed promptly in the recent incident involving violence against resident doctors involving Chetan Anand. The institute has addressed the media, publicly condemning the incident and expressing full institutional support for residents. A written assurance has been provided by the administration, committing to the safety and dignity of resident doctors," it said.

"We sincerely thank the Executive Director and administration of AIIMS Patna for acknowledging our concerns, taking swift action, and working with us constructively to ensure the safety and dignity of resident doctors," it said.

The RDA has been on indefinite strike since August 1.

The RDA had earlier alleged, "The MLA, his wife and his armed guards forcibly entered the hospital area, physically assaulted security staff, threatened resident doctors with death and brandished a firearm within hospital premises last week. A hospital guard was brutally injured, and resident doctors were subjected to threats and abuse inside their own workplace.

Anand, the RJD-turned-JD(U) legislator, had lodged a police complaint, alleging that staffers of AIIMS-Patna misbehaved with him and his wife during a visit to the hospital last week. The MLA alleged that he and his wife were mistreated by hospital staffers when they went to visit a supporter admitted to the facility.

The MLA's mother, Lovely Anand, is the JD(U) MP from the Sheohar Lok Sabha seat. Later, on the basis of a complaint filed by AIIMS administration on behalf of RDA, another FIR was registered against the MLA.