SUBHASH MISHRA
Daltonganj, June 25: MBBS students and interns of Medinirai Medical College Hospital (MMCH), Palamu, launched an indefinite strike on Wednesday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the one-month suspension of two students issued by the principal over alleged indiscipline.
Students and interns gathered outside the superintendent’s office at 10 a.m., raising slogans such as “Dr. PN Mahto go down,” in protest against the principal. The striking male and female students are calling for two key actions: immediate revocation of the suspension orders and the suspension or transfer of Principal Dr. PN Mahto, whom they accuse of threatening students.
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Clash Over Entry Sparks Escalation
The administration suspended two MBBS students on Tuesday, following a heated altercation between the principal and a group of students the previous evening. The incident reportedly began when a female student was denied entry to the college campus for not carrying her identity card. The argument escalated at the college gate, leading to disciplinary action.
As the strike by interns continued, hospital services at MMCH were severely impacted. By noon, neither college authorities nor district administration officials had arrived to address the situation, despite students having informed all concerned officials in advance.
Allegations Against Principal
Students allege that the principal has been using abusive language toward female students and threatening male students since January 18. They claim their repeated complaints were ignored, leaving them with no choice but to protest. Calls made to the principal and the superintendent for comments went unanswered.
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Statewide Support Brewing
Support for the MMCH students is growing across Jharkhand. MBBS students from five other government medical colleges—RIMS Ranchi, MGMMCH Jamshedpur, SNMMCH Dhanbad, SBMCH Hazaribagh, and PJMCH Dumka—are preparing to join the protest.
Leaders from several medical associations have also stepped in. Dr. Ankit Kumar, President of the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) at RIMS; Dr. Jaideep Kumar Choudhary, National Co-Chairman of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA); and Dr. Sushil Kumar, Chairman of the Junior Doctors Network (JDN) Jharkhand chapter, along with President Dr. Vikash Kumar and Secretary Dr. Raghvendra Kumar, announced plans to hold an emergency meeting to decide the next steps in support of the Palamu students.
