New Delhi: The shoot-out of 32-year old man by a teenager inside a ward of the GTB Hospital has once again raised the question of the security of doctors. In the wake of the brazen killing of the patient inside GTB Hospital ward the facility’s Residents’ Doctors Association (RDA) declared an indefinite strike citing safety concerns. The shooting of the man was condemned by other doctors’ bodies as well. Reacting to the incident the Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “a security review of all hospitals will be carried out and no negligence will be tolerated.”
The victim, Riyazuddin, had been admitted to the hospital on 23 June and was undergoing treatment for an abdominal infection, police said. According to an official statement issued by the RDA, the strike came after their long pending demand of giving doctors ample security went unheeded by the city government. “Our repeated appeals for enhanced security have been ignored, culminating in this tragic event. Until the Delhi Government ensures a secure environment for everyone within the hospital, we cannot continue our duties,” an RDA spokesperson said in the statement. “The strike will continue until fundamental security improvements are effectively implemented and communicated,” the statement said. Doctors said the emergency services will remain operational during the strike.
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Meanwhile, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) described the incident as a “mafia-like killing.” “The recent incident of violence at GTB Hospital underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures for our doctors,” said FORDA president Aviral Mathur. “While the Central Protection Act should be tabled in Parliament without delay, it is imperative that the Ministry of Health immediately releases Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to beef up security at all major government hospitals,” he said. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) Chairperson Rohan Krishnan concurred with his colleague and termed the Delhi government hospitals as “a land of lawlessness with no administration.”