Intern medical college students on strike after junior slapped

SURAT: Close to 100 intern medical students of Government Medical College (GMC) have gone on a strike after a junior doctor was slapped by a senior.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a junior doctor Ujjwal Devaliya was slapped by a resident doctor, Amol Jadav, following a heated argument in the surgery ward of the New Civil Hospital within the GMC campus.According to reports, Devaliya wanted to go for lunch but Jadav asked him to stay back in the ward saying that he was irregular in his duty. When Devaliya insisted, a heated argument ensued following which Jadav slapped him.
On Monday, the interns submitted a written complaint to GMC dean G R Patel alleging that slapping Devaliya amounted to “ragging” as the incident had occurred on the campus and a junior was “tortured” by his senior. They also said that slapping was unwarranted as it was a petty issue. They immediately went on a strike after submitting the complaint.
“We have received the complaint that a senior slapped the junior over a petty issue like going for lunch. We received the information on Monday morning only. We will call a meeting of college council and decide the future course of action. The committee will also decide whether this is a fit case of ragging or not,” said Patel.
The intern doctors have threatened to go an indefinite strike if Jadav is not punished.
Meanwhile, some resident doctors that TOI talked to claimed that Devaliya was irregular and by stopping him for going to lunch, Jadav had done nothing wrong. “Jadav must have lost control and slapped him in the heat of the moment. But, both are equally responsible,” said a resident doctor, requesting anonymity.
On the other hand, agitated intern doctors claimed senior doctors are trying to stamp their authority over juniors. “Slapping a junior doctor is a crime and the resident doctor should be punished,” said an intern student.
Meanwhile, former Junior Doctor Association (JDA) president, Krunal Gajjar and current JDA president Saurabh Jambu are also trying to strike a comprise between Devaliya and Jadav.