Resident doctors of state-run J J Hospital who are on a strike since May 19, after two of their colleagues were assaulted following death of a patient, got the support of their counterparts in the civic-run Sion Hospital who went on a one-day strike on May 21.


 

Resident doctors at Sion Hospital said that theirs is a one-day token strike to show solidarity. Two resident doctors, including a woman, of J J Hospital in Byculla were allegedly assaulted on May 19 by relatives of Zaida Sanaullah Sheikh (45), after she died while undergoing treatment there. Police had registered a case under IPC sections 353 (assault on public servant), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons) and Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Service Act, 2010 and arrested four people in connection with the incident.

The four, identified as Mohd Altaf Anulahak Shaikh (32), Sony Sanahullah Shah (23), Rihan Sanaullah Shah (22) and Salima Khatun Sanaullah Shah (20), were remanded in judicial custody till May 31. Talks between the striking resident doctors and authorities of of J J Hospital as well as Prakash Wakode, the joint director of the state's Medical Education Department, had failed to break the impasse, doctors said.

"If the strike gets prolonged, we will run a separate Out-Patient Department (OPD) for patients," spokesperson of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors Amol Hekare said. Doctors said hospitals were provided security guards following similar incidents earlier, but these guards were manning the entrances.