Resident Doctors at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital Call Off Their Strike

The doctors went on a strike after four relatives of a dead patient assaulted two resident doctors.

Doctors at the candlelight protest on Sunday. 

(Photo courtesy: ANI )

Video Editor: Vishal Kumar

The resident doctors of JJ Hospital in Mumbai called-off their strike on Tuesday, 22 May, after they were assured of better security by the state government, ANI reported.

The agitated doctors, who had stayed away from work since Saturday, staged a candlelight march on Sunday demanding more security for the hospital, after two doctors were allegedly thrashed by a patient’s family.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) had alleged that despite repeated requests, there was no adequate security at the hospital.

MARD chief Dr Sarang Donarkar, in a letter to the Dean of JJ Hospital, alleged that the number of security guards has been reduced to half.

Doctors protesting against the thrashing on Saturday. (Photo: IANS)

The incident, where two resident doctors, including a woman, were allegedly beaten up by a patient's relatives at the hospital took place on the morning of Saturday, 19 May, the police said.

While police registered a case against five persons and arrested four of them, the incident prompted the resident doctors at the hospital to go on a day-long strike.

The incident took place in the morning when Zaida Sanaullah Sheikh (45), a resident of Mumbra, who was being treated for a gall bladder ailment, died.

Her family members alleged that it was due to negligence on the doctors' part, and beat up Dr Atish Parikh and a woman doctor who were on duty, a police official said.

They also allegedly ransacked the ward. CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media.

Police arrested four members of Sheikh's family, including a woman, for the alleged assault. One person was absconding.

A case under IPC Sections 353 (assault on public servant), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons) and Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Service Act, 2010, was registered.

The arrested accused were identified as Mohd Altaf Anulahak Shaikh (32), Sony Sanahullah Shah (23), Rihan Sanaullah Shah (22) and Salima Khatun Sanaullah Shah (20).

All four were sent to judicial custody till 31 May by a local court.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)

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