ITANAGAR, May 06:
The state’s medical fraternity today announced that it will hold its protest for a day on Friday instead of two days as informed earlier.
The decision to cut down on its protest duration came following a meeting of the state’s Indian Medical Association unit (IMA-AP) and the Arunachal Pradesh Doctors Association with Health minister Alo Libang
The state’s medical fraternity on Wednesday had announced a two-day strike on May 7 and 8 across the state in protest against the act of violence against a doctor and vandalism at the Samaritan Hormin Hospital, Naharlagun. The violence and vandalism took place on Monday over the death of a lady patient following a minor knee surgery.
Briefing the media here at the Heema Hospital conference hall, IMA-AP president Dr Lobsang Tsetim clarified that their protest is not to justify whether the doctor in question was right or wrong as it will be ascertained after proper inquiry, but is to express their protest against the act of violence and vandalism of hospital.
All essential and emergency services along with Covid-19 duty won’t come under the purview of their protest and will continue as usual and the protest will have no impact on emergency cases.
Responding to the query over medical associations having their own set of protocols or guidelines to verify whether the medical negligence have occurred or not, Dr Tsetim informed that every medical institution has their own death audit practices in place. He, however, didn’t comment on what the death audit report says about the death of a patient following which the act of violence and vandalism happened.
Meanwhile, commenting on the meeting with the Health minister, Dr Tsetim informed that the medical fraternity is “happy” with the meeting’s outcome.
He informed that the Health minister while expressing concern over the incident has assured to strictly pursue the matter under the Arunachal Pradesh Protection of Medical Service Personnel and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damages or Loss of Property) Act, 2019, and also to provide compensation against the damages.
Referring to physical assault and vandalism of the hospital, the president said that the law will take its own course of action and investigation is being done by the police and can’t comment on that.
