New headache for Kejriwal govt after revoking Max license, doctors threaten strike
The Kejriwal government was lauded by public as it acted swiftly to revoke license of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh which declared a living baby dead. But, now it faces a new headache with doctors threatening to go on strike in protest.
In Short
- Support for Max Hospital that declared a living baby dead.
- DMA writes to Kerijwal asking to restore license of hospital.
- DMA threatens to go on strike if demand is not met.
Days after Arvind Kejriwal government revoked the license of the Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh for declaring a living newborn baby dead, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has threatened to go strike.
Rallying behind the Max Hospital, the DMA has termed the Kejriwal government's decision "irrational and autocratic". The Max Hospital had on November 30 declared a newborn dead. The mistake was realised when the family members were going for the last rites of the baby boy and his twin.
Wrapped in a "plastic bag" the infant was found alive by his grandfather. He sensed some movement inside the plastic bag and when he opened he found the baby boy breathing. The baby boy, 22-weeks premature, was born alive while his twin sister was still-born.
When the baby was discovered alive, he admitted in north Delhi's Agarwal Nursing Home but died on Wednesday.
WHAT DMA SAYS?
Now, the DMA has urged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to revoke the order to cancel the license of the Max Hospital failing which it threatened to go on strike.
"We have written the letter to the Chief Minister and sought revocation of the license cancellation order of Max Hospital. We also want the two doctors of the hospital to be reinstated before the report of the DMC comes out. If no action is taken on our demands than we will call for a strike of all the resident doctors of private as well as government hospitals in Delhi," President Elect of DMA Ashwini Goyal said.
According to the DMA, while the investigation against the concerned doctors was expected, the decision to shut down the entire hospital is too harsh.
"The decision to shut the entire hospital is irrational and autocratic. Private hospitals bear 80 per cent of the patient's burden in Delhi. Action against the concerned doctors is expected but why should all other departments and the hospital suffer," said Goyal.
There was also a protest outside the hospital by the patients, who burnt effigies of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In the wake of the incident, the services of two doctors - AP Mehta and Vishal Gupta - were terminated by the hospital authorities.
The DMA has also written a letter to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. The DMA has contended the decision announced by Jain saying that the government should have waited for the report by Delhi Medical Council (DMC) into the issue before taking the stand against the hospital.
IMA, DMA ON SAME PAGE
According to the DMA, the DMC which is a statutory body has taken cognizance of the matter and will come out with its report in a few days. The license cancellation order was issued after a three-member panel found negligence on part of the hospital.
With cancellation of license, the government is barred from admitting any new patient and to shut down the outpatient treatment services and laboratory testing on the premises with immediate effect. The hospital has stopped admitting new patients creating confusion and problems for those who still headed to the Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) termed the cancellation of license "too harsh a step". It backed the hospital and said if all hospitals start facing such situations where patients die due to such mistakes then healthcare will come to a halt.
The Max Hospital earlier said that the Delhi government order was harsh as it was not given adequate opportunity to put forth their side of the story.
(With IANS inputs)