SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 21: Junior doctors and interns of Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH), Dhanbad, have called off their indefinite OPD strike after receiving assurances from Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari.
The minister, during a late-night meeting on Saturday, assured the protesting doctors that the outsourcing staff member accused of misbehaving with a lady intern would be removed, and an institutional FIR would be lodged against him. He further warned that SNMMCH superintendent Dr. Dinesh Kumar Gindauria would face removal if he failed to implement both directives.
Despite these assurances, no action had been taken even 24 hours later. The superintendent informed the agitating doctors that the process of removing the accused outsourcing staff had been initiated, but no institutional FIR had been filed.
The strike was launched on Saturday morning after the incident on Friday evening, in which an outsourcing staff member—also known to be a representative of Dhanbad BJP MP Dhulu Mahto—allegedly misbehaved with a female intern while she was on ward duty.
Dispute Over FIR
Although the strike has been withdrawn, the deadlock continues over the lodging of the FIR. The doctors have demanded that the hospital management file an institutional FIR, while the authorities maintain that the victim herself must file the complaint.
“We are here to treat patients, not to visit police stations or courts daily. Therefore, an institutional FIR should be lodged, as also directed by the health minister,” said a doctor leading the agitation.
Political and Communal Overtones
The doctors said they were compelled to call off the strike after the incident was given political and communal overtones.
Since the accused is associated with a BJP MP and the victim belongs to a minority community, leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress reached the hospital on Saturday evening, demanding action. BJP leaders also gathered in support of the accused.
“As political parties began using the issue for their own interests, we decided to withdraw the strike,” a doctor stated.
IMA Intervention Ineffective
On Saturday evening, IMA state president Dr. A.K. Singh and secretary Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh submitted a letter to Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Health, Aay Kumar Singh, urging immediate action at SNMMCH to ensure the safety of doctors. However, no progress was observed until Sunday afternoon.
Later in the evening, Dhanbad IMA secretary Dr. Rakeshinder Singh, Dr. Purvey, and other members visited the medical college but were also unable to secure safety assurances from the hospital administration.
