By TCN News,
Aligarh: The resident doctors of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College & Hospital (JNMCH) of Aligarh Muslim University are on strike for last two weeks demanding security for them and more funds for the hospital. The doctors went on strike on 5th March 2012 after an incident of violence by some anti-social elements along with a patient in casualty section of the hospital which left a doctor on duty wounded.
Along with the strike, the resident doctors are also holding relay hunger strike at faculty of medicine, AMU. They are continuing the strike because they say the authorities are not arresting the culprits of violence and not providing extra security to doctors. They are giving just verbal assurances.
The JNMCH covers the health needs of 50 km radius around Aligarh, with 4 lakhs patients attending OPD annually. The funding of JNMCH by UGC is meager Rs 2 crore/ year. So the hospital authorities are unable to provide free drugs and medical equipment for patients. The basic essential drugs, intracatheter and equipment of emergency are not available in adequate quantity as in other government hospitals. The 1150-bed hospital has only 3 functional ventilators in ICU. So the Resident Doctors Association has demanded the government to increase the revolving fund per year for JNMCH.
In January 2010, union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had made a visit to the hospital and expressed his “strong displeasure” at the “pathetic condition” prevailing in different wards of the medical college hospital. Later, addressing members of the teaching staff of the AMUTA at a reception given in his honour, Azad expressed his concern over the absence of “basic facilities” at the hospital of an institution which carries high reputation in India and abroad.
Alleging the university and JNMC authorities are showing indifferent attitude towards the striking doctors, RDA on 13th March sent a memorandum to AMU Court members demanding security and more funds.
Demands
(1)JNMC Hospital is given a very meager funding by central government. This is a 1150-bed hospital but is given merely Rs 2 crore, which is so little for such a big setup. This grant should be increased immediately
(2)The residents and staff of the hospital are highly insecure in the present setting. We appeal to you to instruct the concerned authorities to take immediate efforts to ensure our security so that we return to work safely. We demand the establishment of a security control room in the premises and the vehicle parking to be shifted outside the hospital.
(3)A list of relevant demands regarding the provision of basic amenities in the casualty has been handed over to the university authorities but they have not been taken seriously. This is appealed to you to intervene in this impasse and kindly ensure that we get our relevant demands fulfilled.