A doctor must work eighteen hours a day and seven days a week. If you cannot console yourself to this, get out of the profession.

~Martin H. Fischer

A large number of people in the state, especially the patients, are facing severe inconvenience due to the ongoing strike of junior doctors.  Thanks to the 21 service post graduates 17 interns for not taking part in the strike and because of these few persons, today patients are at least facing inconvenience. Otherwise, they would have lost their lives, said an educationist (on the condition of anonymity).

It may be noted that junior doctors have been on strike since this Monday and boycotted even the emergency services demanding the government for giving clear cut guidelines on the one-year rural stint besides asking the government for hiking their stipends (on par with Medical Officers) in case they are posted in rural areas.

Denial of treatment:

Monday several patients turned up to the government hospitals in the state were denied treatment. Unfortunately, those patients reached hospitals in the heavy downpour only because of the serious illnesses. And yet they were denied treatment at many hospitals.

Hippocratic Oath:

The Hippocratic Oath, which will be undertaken by all medicos, tells the world that a doctor will uphold a professional ethics and standards. They, in fact, swear to practice medicine ethically and honestly.

Don't you think denial of treatment to a patient (who was no way involved with the government's decisions) only because government is not responding to their requests is violation of Hippocratic Oath? This is obviously a rhetoric question. Doctors are looked upon as Gods in white coats and it's high time junior doctors should realize the same, said educationalists.

ESMA ACT:

Minister Kondru Murali has said that Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would be evoked against the agitating doctors in case they don't call off their strike with immediate effect. Notably, ESMA was designed to ensure that people in essential services don't go on strike since it causes inconvenience to the public. ESMA is a  powerful central law and its application lies mainly on the state governments.

Note: Issued in the interest of the public

(AW Phani)