Medical services to be hit as over 40,000 Delhi doctors go on mass leave in support of Maharashtra stir

Expressing solidarity wit the residents doctors of Maharashtra, around 40,000 doctors in the national capital have decided to go on mass leave in protest against the attack on a doctor at Sion Hospital in Mumbai.

Delhi: Expressing solidarity wit the residents doctors of Maharashtra, who are on strike demanding better security, around 40,000 doctors in the national capital have decided to go on mass leave in protest against the attack on a doctor at Sion Hospital in Mumbai.

According to ANI, medical services at about 40 hospitals in Delhi will be shut all together on Thursday.

Importantly, around 1,200 junior doctors turned up at work at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Wednesday wearing driving helmets.

Delhi: In wake of attacks on resident doctors in Maharashtra, resident doctors at AIIMS wear helmets as a precautionary measure. pic.twitter.com/401IZTmbkp — ANI (@ANI_news) March 22, 2017

Meanwhile, another attack on a resident doctor by a patient's relatives at Mumbai's Sion Hospital was reported today.

Mumbai: Resident doctor at Sion Hospital allegedly attacked by a patient's relatives last night; Police complaint registered against 3 women pic.twitter.com/v35sujaIAN — ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017

The attack on the doctor last night has dashed the hope of any resolution. It is the second such case at the hospital in the past four days.

A police complaint in the regard has been registered against three women, who allegedly assaulted the senior pediatric.

The strike by Maharashtra doctors began after a resident doctor was brutally beaten up by the relatives of a deceased patient at Mumbai's Sion Hospital.

Over 4,000 resident doctors across Maharashtra have gone on mass leave, agitating against dangerous working conditions. 

Top government hospitals such as AIIMS, RML, Safdarjung are among all Delhi government hospitals, which will remain closed.

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) has expressed their support to the doctors in Maharashtra. 

The association, which is an umbrella body of all resident doctors in Delhi, has decided to go on mass leave if any action is taken against the doctors in Maharashtra. 

Dr Pankaj Solanki, President, FORDA, said, "About 40,000 resident doctors of at least 40 hospitals have decided to go on mass leave on Thursday between 9 am to 4 pm. Only emergency duty schedule of resident doctors will be followed during this time. We have taken this step in view of increasing number of assaults on doctors and showing solidarity towards our colleagues from Maharashtra. And we condemn the action taken by government of Maharashtra against doctors."

Junior doctors in Maharashtra have stayed away from work for four days now, protesting the rise in violence against them by patients’ relatives.

The Maharashtra government has asked them to get back to work by Wednesday evening or risk losing six months’ salary.