Doctors out,patients in

Government doctors in Tamilnadu today went on a strike leaving in limbo two-hour outpatient services but that did not affect patients to a great extent as they were attended to by trainee doctors.

The doctors launched the State-wide protest from 7.30 am to 9.30 am today condemning the assault of a doctor at the Government Ponneri Hospital recently.
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Their primary demand was that the government should promulgate an ordinance to protect them on the lines of the one followed in Andhra Pradesh.

According to reports, the services at Government General Hospital, Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and Government Royapettah Hospital remained unaffected.

While in Stanley Hospital, outpatients were forced to stand in a long queue for a few hours in the morning, as doctors returned to duty at 10 am.

It may be recalled that on 18 June, Dr G M Nandakumar who was on duty at the Ponneri Hospital was assaulted by two advocates when he reportedly refused to provide them an oxygen cylinder and ambulance to taken an asthma patient from a nearby private hospital to Chennai General Hospital.

In his complaint, the doctor alleged that he was slapped repeatedly, kicked in the lower abdomen and inflicted injuries on the head.

Later when the doctor was taken to hospital, he found his eardrum perforated.

SP Senthamaraikannan who dealt with the case has said that a case has been booked against the two advocates Ebbiraj and Radha Manavalan and one more Jayakanthan under a non-bailable section.

While Jayakanthan was remanded to judicial custody others had obtained anticipatory bail.

Meanwhile, the lawyers in their counter- complaint stated that Dr Nandakumar has made objectionable remarks against them.

On 19 June, the doctors staged a dharna near the Ponneri Hospital. After the issue was brought to the notice of Tamilnadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA), another dharna was staged on 24 June.

It may be noted that the lawyers were granted anticipatory bail even while Dr Nandakumar was in hospital.

Subsequently, State Health Secretary V K Subburaj held talks with doctors and assured that an ordinance was under consideration.

The case was currently being investigated by Ponneri RDO and the DSP.