Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The principal bench of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh High Court, has ordered JUDA (Junior Doctors Association) to withdraw the strike on Saturday. It assured the junior doctors that their appeal will be heard on Monday, after they end their strike.
Currently, over 3000 junior doctors across Madhya Pradesh are on strike, staging protests over the heinous rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. They have demanded strict punishment against the accused, raising concerns over women’s safety, especially doctors, who have to travel for shifts at odd times in the night.
Acting Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh Sanjeev Sachdeva was hearing a petition filed by Anshul Tiwari on Saturday.
“Agar patient ki jaan nikal rahi hogi toh usse boliye ki mujhe saamay dijiye…’ Acting Chief Justice of MP HC Sanjeev Sachdeva lashes out at lawyer advocating JUDA strike#Doctors #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/LYAqNZrXL4
— Free Press Madhya Pradesh (@FreePressMP) August 17, 2024
‘Will you ask patient to wait till Monday?’
The bench of the High Court clarified that there are other ways for JUDA doctors to raise their demands in a way that no patient has to suffer because of the doctors’ strike.
Lashing out at the JUDA counsel seeking time till Monday, he said this is the matter of the entire nation, but there are other ways to register the protest. “Agar kisi ki jaan nikal rahi hogi toh usse boliye ki mujhe saamay dijiye! (If a patient is critical, will you ask them to wait for medicine till Monday?)
Replying to which, the advocate representing JUDA said that they are just students and not permanent doctors who assist seniors. Doctors are working round the clock, and the services remain disrupted.
The High Court stood on its stance and ordered the JUDA to end their strike without any wait and has agreed to hear their appeal on Monday.
Notably, JUDA has boycotted OPD of government hospitals across Madhya Pradesh, like AIIMS-Bhopal, Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, MGM Medical College, Indore, which has at least four to five different hospitals like MY Hospital and Chacha Nehru Hospital. Besides, in response to the call of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the nursing homes association, too, joined the strike and has suspended regular OPD for 24 hours from 6 a.m. on August 17 to 6 a.m. on August 18.
Dr. Anup Hazela, president of the MP Nursing Homes Association, said, “We have decided to suspend our regular OPD in response to the call of IMA for 24 hours. It is our duty to show solidarity in protest against the RG Kar Medical College doctor rape and murder case.”
