Protesting attacks, doctors stage stir in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Displaying the placards with messages such as 'say no to violence against doctors,' 'save the savior,' 'doctors are not supposed to die at workplace,' 'everyone act now united,' junior doctors staged a protest at the King George Hospital here on Monday.

Doctors of both the government and private hospitals in the city struck work in response to the call given by Indian Medical Association (IMA) to express solidarity with the agitating junior doctors in West Bengal. While OP services in KGH and other hospitals were hit due to the strike, however, emergency cases were attended. KGH Superintendent G Arjuna said OP services were withdrawn while doctors attended on emergency cases as usual.

Meanwhile, Praja Arogya Vedika, a city-based organisation, has expressed solidarity with the doctors who have been attacked in West Bengal.

Staging a protest, the Vedika's convener T Kameswara Rao condemned the attack on doctors in West Bengal for death of a patient. He said it was unfair to blame doctors in such cases.

Several factors would lead to the death of a patient when he or she was brought to hospital in a critical condition and that the doctors were not supposed to be blamed or attacked when a patient passes away, the protestors urged.

The Vedika laid emphasis on the government to take steps to check increasing attacks on doctors across the country.