Maharashtra govt starts process to invoke MESMA on resident doctors

MUMBAI: The state government initiated the process of invoking Maharashtra Essential Services and Maintenance Act (Mesma) on the 4000 striking resident doctors from public medical colleges on Friday. The trainee PG doctors however refused to withdraw the stir till their demands of transferring JJ Hospital dean Dr TP Lahane and ophthalmology head Dr Ragini Parekh were met.
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) issued a showcause notice to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) asking why the Mesma should not be invoked against them for paralyzing the medical services.While Friday was the first day of a state-wide strike, services at Byculla’s JJ Hospital have been on a standstill since a week.
“The strike did not have much of an impact on Friday because it was a holiday but things will be worse on Saturday. If doctors don’t resume work, we will decide a new line of action,” said Dr Pravin Shingare, head of DMER. He said that students cannot dictate who should be their teacher or the head of an institution. “They should have come with their grievances to DMER before going on a strike,” he added.