Patients suffer as doctors boycott work in Kota government hospitals

Kota: Resident doctors continued to boycott work on the second day on Friday in protest against the assault on their colleagues on emergency duty on Wednesday night. Police have so far detained two persons.

Meanwhile, patients, particularly in OPDs, faced trouble and inconvenience in getting treatment in MBS, JK Lon and New Medical College hospitals. However, medical officers claimed the situation was managed with senior residents and permanent doctors in ICU and operation theatres. The nursing staff also boycotted work for two hours in three hospitals in support of the resident's doctors.

Two accused, identified as Imran Khan and Arshad, were on Friday afternoon detained in connection with the assault on doctors in MBS Hospital on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Efforts are on to trace the identity of other accused, circle inspector at Nayapura police station Rajendra Singh said.

Following a report by resident doctors, police had on Thursday morning lodged a case under Sections 323, 332, 341, 353, 427 of IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Medical Protection Act 2008 against unidentified persons, he said.

On the basis of CCTV footage, two persons were identified and detained while efforts are underway to find the woman, who was seen flinging a chair at the doctor, he added.

"Medical services were affected and the number of operations had to be reduced. However, senior residents, permanent doctors and medical officers managed the situation in ICU and OT," superintendent, MBS Hospital, Dr Dinesh Verma said.

Until all the accused are arrested and police deployed round-the-clock, we will continue to boycott work at hospitals," president of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) Jitendra Yadav said.