DMA asks Kejriwal to revoke suspension order of doctors

After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday approved the dismissal and suspension of four doctors at government-run Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital for allegedly denying medical assistance who later succumbed to injury, doctors body has urged to revoke the suspension order immediately.

“Doctors cannot be made scapegoats to cover lack of proper infrastructure in government hospitals. DMA will contest this in court of Law”, said Dr Ashwini Dalmiya, Delhi Medical Association. He has also asked DMC to conduct an enquiry into the case.

“The patient was first taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra hospital which has no facilities for neurosurgery then to GTB Hospital where the CT scan machine is not in a working condition and then to Lok Nayak Hospital where no bed was available and ultimately to RML Hospital where the patient succumbed. This is a classic example of passing the buck after choosing to fix responsibility on the weakest link in the system and finding the ideal scapegoat”, said DMA president.

The doctors’ body has also written to the chief minister to revoke the dismissal and suspension orders of the doctors immediately and take adequate steps to provide better health facilities in Delhi hospitals.

“Three of the four hospitals are under the Delhi Government. It is the duty of the Government to provide facilities and ensure that the facilities in each hospital are functional. It will be appropriate for the Lt Governor/Chief Minister/ Health Minister/ Secretary Health/ to decide among themselves to take full and Collective responsibility for this death rather than hold the doctors who serve the people of Delhi in appalling conditions in Delhi hospitals with minimal facilities at their disposal to discharge their duties”, reads the letter.

Mr Kejriwal recommended the suspension order in an incident wherein a person jumped from a moving police van on Jan 3. The person sustained serious injuries and was taken to Jag Prakash Chandra Hospital by the police. The hospital referred him to GTB hospital. However, the doctor on duty at GTB Hospital allegedly refused to admit. After that, the police took him to LNJP hospital. However, the doctor on duty there also allegedly refused to admit the injured person and referred to RML Hospital. However, the injured person succumbed to his injuries at RML hospital.