By IANS,
Hyderabad : Junior doctors at government hospitals in Hyderabad and Warangal Monday called off their strike after the Andhra Pradesh government agreed to provide them with security at their workplaces.
The government announced that the Special Protection Force (SPF) comprising police personnel would be deployed at the Niloufer Hospital for children here. Meanwhile, a committee would go into the demand for improving the security at other hospitals.
P.V. Ramesh, principal health secretary, told reporters that the SPF would be deployed at Niloufer HOspital from Tuesday. The police would decide on the number of personnel to be deployed at the hospital.
On the demand for similar security measures at other teaching hospitals in Hyderabad and Warangal, Ramesh said a panel would go into the issue and make recommendations to improve the security situation there.
The official also announced that a committee comprising the staff of teaching hospitals and the health officials would chalk out an annual action plan to improve services in the hospitals.
The junior doctors at four hospitals in Hyderabad and MGM Hospital in Warangal were on strike for 10 days demanding that the government provide them security in view of the increasing number of attacks by relatives of patients.
The junior doctors were also boycotting emergency services since Saturday.
The doctors at Niloufer Hospital alleged that the SPF deployed last year was recently withdrawn.
The health official clarified that the death of eight children at Niloufer Hospital Sunday was not due to strike or negligence by the doctors.
“Niloufer is an advanced tertiary hospital. About 100 to 150 newborn are admitted to the hospital every day and 10 to 15 of them die,” he said.
The official pointed out that many babies born premature are brought to the hospital from various places.