Safdarjung Hospital considering ESMA to tame striking medics

New Delhi : The state-owned Safdarjung Hospital here is considering invoking of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to crack down on striking medics who refused to join work even as hundreds of patients lay unattended since Tuesday,
hospital sources said.

About 1200 junior doctors have been on strike after three of their colleagues were allegedly assaulted by aggrieved relatives of a patient who died of suspected dengue early on Tuesday morning.

Official sources said senior officers have been in discussion with the Delhi government about the imposition of ESMA if a fresh appeal failed to convince the striking doctors, as many patients needed immediate attention.

The current strike is the second time in less than a month in the hospital, one of the biggest in New Delhi.

“They (patient’s party) misbehaved with a lady doctor. She feels threatened. This is not the way one can work. The hospital allows in so many family members with patients. Why aren’t they stopped?” says Dr Chandrabhan, President of the Resident Doctors’ Association, NDTV said quoting the medic.

The doctors said they wanted safety first. “We cannot work under constant threats. How can you expect to treat your patient if it goes against your interest? You beat the doctors no matter how serious was your sick relative,” a junior medic said.

The doctors now want increased protection from agitated families of patients who break through the security and attack them.

”We understand that patients are vulnerable. But we, as doctors, cannot discharge our duties under such conditions,” Dr Sunil Kumar, a member of the Resident Doctors’ Association, said.

Invoking of ESMA means a doctor defying the order would come under criminal offence and can get up to six months in jail.