Protesting resident docs of AIIMS meet Harsh Vardhan, urge to ensure safety

New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of AIIMS met Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday with regard to the violence against doctors in West Bengal and demanded security for their fraternity.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Arun, resident doctor AIIMS, said: "It was a successful meeting. The Minister listened to all our problems. He said that he will write letters to all Chief Ministers to ensure the security of doctors in their respective states."
When asked if the strike will be called off, another doctor said, "Nothing happened with us but we stood in solidarity with the doctors in Kolkata. We will be talking to them now. As soon as Mamata Banerjee responds to the doctors' issues, we will update you."
RDA submitted a letter to the Union Minister seeking his intervention in ensuring the safety of doctors.
"Adaptation of a uniform security code applicable to all government healthcare facilities across the country. Formulating an SOP for entry-exit protocols in wards, emergencies, OPDs and hostel premises. Recruitment of both armed and unarmed trained competent security guards in all government hospitals, increasing the number of security staffs to at least thrice the existing numbers, if necessary through outsourced security agencies," the letter read.
The RDA also demanded the Centre's intervention to stop "politically motivated atrocity" on protesting doctors in West Bengal.
"Making CCTV vigilance in every hospital mandatory, especially in the emergency area. Conducting regular security audits, training and mock drills for both security guards and health care providers," the letter further read.
AIIMS doctors are on strike today in the wake of an alleged attack on a junior doctor in West Bengal by the relative of a patient who died on June 10.
Earlier, Harsh Vardhan said that the government is committed toward ensuring the safety of doctors.
"I would like to assure all doctors that the Government is committed towards their safety. I appeal to doctors to hold symbolic protests only and continue to carry out their duties," Harsh Vardhan told ANI.
"I appeal to West Bengal CM to not make this an issue of prestige. She gave the doctors an ultimatum, as a result, they got angry and went on strike. Today, I will write to Mamata Banerjee ji and will also try to speak to her on this issue," he said.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked agitating junior doctors in West Bengal to resume work within four hours.
On Friday, the AIIMS administration has put out a memorandum on the "code of conduct" to be followed by its employees during the one-day strike.
As per the official note, members of RDA have been advised to refrain from holding any dharna/protest/strike within the premises of AIIMS.
The administration has also asked doctors to refrain from using loudspeakers, shouting slogans and holding demonstration inside AIIMS campus.
"No employee, staff or faculty member will cease work for any reason whatever or disrupt the work or aid, or abet such disruption or cessation. No interference in any official work," the memorandum further read.
Thousands of patients in the national capital were hit hard after the doctors at AIIMS Delhi halted health services in support of their Kolkata counterparts today.
Various medical bodies have called a strike across the country to protest the rising violence against the medical fraternity after a junior doctor of Nil Ratan Sarkar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital was allegedly attacked by the relative of a patient who died on June 10. (ANI)