Hindu Rao Hospital doctors call off agitation

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Doctors at the Hindu Rao Hospital in north Delhi on Tuesday ended their agitation after three days, claiming the authorities have assured that their demands will be met.

Doctors at the North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run hospital were protesting since Sunday and had threatened to go on strike from Monday after two of their colleagues were on Saturday allegedly beaten by the relatives of a patient who had died at the facility. 

A meeting was held among the representatives of the hospital's Resident Doctors Association (RDA), Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), senior civic and police officials, said Rahul Chaudhary, president of RDA.

During the meeting, the demands were put forth, which included the arrest of the accused within three days, besides augmentation of security deployment and setting up of a round-the-clock police chowki inside the hospital campus among others, he said. 

On Monday, doctors had met civic authorities, who assured them that their demands will be met. After receiving the assurance, the doctors had decided not to go on strike. 

However, on Tuesday morning, agitating doctors continued their stir until the meeting was held. 

"We had continued the agitation but during the meeting today police and civic officials gave us assurances that our demands will be met. So, we are calling off the agitation,” Chaudhary said.

The clash on Saturday had allegedly broken out between doctors and relatives of a deceased patient at the hospital, the largest and oldest facility run by a civic body here.

The RDA's primary demand were the "presence of senior doctors" in the emergency department during night time as well, as things get out of control in such situations and moreover the relatives wish to speak to senior doctors in the time of crisis, Chaudhary added.

Two doctors Rajesh Kumar and Pranay were allegedly beaten up by the relatives of the deceased patient, a woman, who was brought to the hospital on Saturday.

Last month, a similar incident took place in Kolkata's state-run NRS Medical college where junior doctors were allegedly assaulted by the relatives of a 75-year-old patient after he died due to alleged negligence. 

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