BENGALURU: The protest by junior doctors of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) demanding the arrest of pro-Kannada activists who allegedly assaulted a postgraduate medico at
Minto Eye Hospital
entered the fourth day on Monday. Medical services at Victoria and Vani Vilas hospitals were partially affected with over 900 junior doctors and interns boycotting outpatient department (OPD) work.
As a result, senior doctors were forced to extend their working hours at OPDs in Victoria, Vani Vilas, PMSSY, Trauma and Emergency Care Centre. Protesting in the Victoria hospital complex, junior doctors demanded security and reiterated the activists should be arrested. Their meeting with college authorities had failed on Sunday.
On November 1, the PG medico was questioned by members of a pro-Kannada organisation for not speaking in the language.
‘K’taka not safe for medicos’
“Presuming that Karnataka is safe, many parents have sent their children to study here. But it’s not true. The doctor who was assaulted had the option of studying in other parts of the country, but she chose to come here. All we seek is better security and the arrest of those behind the assault,” said Dr Lakshmi
Narayana Reddy, president, PG doctors’ association, BMCRI.
“We are here to get trained and treat patients, not take Kannada lessons from self-proclaimed activists. While treating patients, we will automatically learn the local language. While should they target junior doctors? Why do government hospitals lack robust security when we deal with all kinds of people everyday,” asked a junior doctor.
Dr Savitha Patil, vice-president of the association, said: “I’m a third-year PG student of anaesthesia. I get posted at all hospitals associated with the college and move from one to another even at midnight in case of emergency...If any patient has a problem with the hospital, he/she should take it up with the authorities and not question junior doctors.”
The protest is being supported by the Karnataka chapter of Indian Medical Association. The teaching faculty at BMCRI and medical education department have also backed the stir. “It has become a habit for such activists to barge in after working hours during holidays and target junior doctors. We are managing to function despite the protest. However, we support the protesters as such incidents shouldn’t be repeated,” said Dr PG Girish, director, medical education.
‘I know Kannada, they made me apologise’
“I know Kannada. On November 1, when they (activists) entered the hospital in large numbers, I didn’t want to speak in Kannada as I was self- conscious. I even apologised as they forced me to do so,” the medico who’s pursuing PG in
ophthalmology
said in Kannada.
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