JJ medicos withdraw complaint against dean

MUMBAI: Resident doctors from the ophthalmology department of JJ Hospital withdrew their complaint against dean Dr TP Lahane and head of ophthalmology Dr Ragini Parekh on Thursday, nine months after they went on a mass strike seeking the duo’s transfer alleging mental harassment and failure of teachers to impart surgical skills.
The students have submitted a letter saying they no longer wanted to pursue their complaint.“Over the past eight months, things in the department have changed for better. We feel comfortable working in the department,” the letter stated adding that it was not written under any threat or pressure.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) said that they would look into the issue and discuss it with the doctors.
Around 12 resident doctors had gone on a strike on April 3, 2016 alleging that they were mentally harassed and verbally abused by senior teachers of the department. They also claimed that the teachers did not allow them to touch equipment, which impacted their quality of learning surgical skills. MARD too lent its support with 4,000 doctors from across the state joining them in protest.
The JJ Hospital’s academic committee probed the allegations and found no fault. Meanwhile, the Bombay high court accepted a suggestion by MARD to reconstitute a grievance redressal committee. The indefinite strike was withdrawn on April 9. Subsequently, the committee was formed under justice VC Daga.
Dr Lahane told TOI the misunderstandings between teachers and students have been cleared. “In a department, teachers share a parental relation with students. The students have now realized that we only have their best interest in mind,” he said. He said that a letter signed by the students has been handed over to the Daga committee for closure of the case. “The committee has a larger role. It is meant to look into all student grievances,” he said.