Taking a serious view of the stir launched by resident doctors across the state, the Bombay high court bench at Nagpur on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to place on record the action it planned to take against the striking medicos.
Hearing a petition filed by Nagpur-based organisation Janmanch, a division bench of Justice Dilip Sinha and Justice Ashok Bhangale has asked the state to furnish its response by Monday.
The court took serious cognizance of the fact that despite assurances from the government to punish striking doctors last year in response to a petition by the Citizen's
Forum, the doctors had again struck work.
Janmanch claimed that the strike was "illegal" and was resulting in unnecessary harassment of patients who come to various government hospitals.
Patients-mostly from lower strata of society-come for treatment to government hospitals. "Resident doctors are resorting to strikes for minor grievances, due to which patients are suffering for want of treatment,'' said advocate Anil Kilor, counsel for Janmanch.
Moreover, public money to the tune of crores was spent on imparting PGeducation to these resident doctors at subsidised rates, the lawyer argued. Medicos had to give an undertaking to the Medical Council of India (MCI) that patient care would be their primary responsibility. Still, the doctors skip duty in the name of strike and flout rules, said the petition.
Last year in February 2008, the government had assured the court that it would initiate strict action, including expulsion, against striking doctors at all medical colleges in the state. The court had then pulled up the government for its failure to take appropriate action against striking medicos, saying that their tendency to go on strike over petty issues was putting the patients to inconvenience.
Besides, the state government, Janmanch has also named the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Medical Council of India, deans of Government Medical College and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College in the Nagpur, and Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) as parties in the petition.
Hearing a petition filed by Nagpur-based organisation Janmanch, a division bench of Justice Dilip Sinha and Justice Ashok Bhangale has asked the state to furnish its response by Monday.
The court took serious cognizance of the fact that despite assurances from the government to punish striking doctors last year in response to a petition by the Citizen's
Forum, the doctors had again struck work.
Janmanch claimed that the strike was "illegal" and was resulting in unnecessary harassment of patients who come to various government hospitals.
Patients-mostly from lower strata of society-come for treatment to government hospitals. "Resident doctors are resorting to strikes for minor grievances, due to which patients are suffering for want of treatment,'' said advocate Anil Kilor, counsel for Janmanch.
Moreover, public money to the tune of crores was spent on imparting PGeducation to these resident doctors at subsidised rates, the lawyer argued. Medicos had to give an undertaking to the Medical Council of India (MCI) that patient care would be their primary responsibility. Still, the doctors skip duty in the name of strike and flout rules, said the petition.
Last year in February 2008, the government had assured the court that it would initiate strict action, including expulsion, against striking doctors at all medical colleges in the state. The court had then pulled up the government for its failure to take appropriate action against striking medicos, saying that their tendency to go on strike over petty issues was putting the patients to inconvenience.
Besides, the state government, Janmanch has also named the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Medical Council of India, deans of Government Medical College and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College in the Nagpur, and Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) as parties in the petition.
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