Rohit Shishodia
Resident doctors who often go on strike over assaults on colleagues have decided to take a different mode of agitation. The doctors will now demand the resignation of the health secretary of the state where doctors are assaulted.

Dr Ankit Om, Chairman, United-RDA, told DTMT: “We have decided that we will not demand security for doctors in hospital which has been an ineffective move. We will demand the resignation of the health sectary of the concerned state where a doctor is assaulted. This will be done because it is the policy of the health secretary due to which the doctor is beaten in the health facility.”

“Unless the concerned health secretary tenders resignation, we will continue the strike. Demanding security has not worked. They deploy security in hospitals but this doesn’t work. Doctors are being beaten on a daily basis. You need to frame such a policy that no doctor is attacked in hospital. This will be followed in every state. RDAs of concerned states will raise the demand,” added Dr Om.

Dr Om said that decisions on arrest of people who attack doctors are not taken due to their political affiliations. That is why any arrest or their immediate release is made on basis of political reasons.

“These attackers are voters of political parties. Therefore, no action is taken in case of assaults and a compromise has to be reached between the doctor and the patient. This matter will be raised in United-RDA National Council Meeting to be held on January 26, 2019,” informed Dr Om.

United RDA is an association of 16 RDAs working in different states.