Doctors violated previous HC orders: PIL against strike

A city-based activist filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court (HC) against the strike organised by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Wednesday. The PIL pointed out that the doctors’ body violated a previous undertakings given to the HC that it would not resort to mass bunking or strike.

It said that the strike will inconvenience thousands of poor patients and that contempt proceedings should be undertaken against the striking doctors. The matter will be heard on Friday.

According to the PIL, filed before the bench of chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog and justice N M Jamdar on Wednesday, by activist Afak Mandaviya through advocate Datta Mane, the doctors and their juniors working in government and municipal hospitals have been resorting to strikes and mass bunking since 2006 for frivolous reasons.

The petition says that MARD has adopted a wrong approach in expressing its demand to increase the doctors’ stipend and bring it on part with the Central Residency scheme, which is adopted by many states. Even though there a grievance redressal cell in place to address such issues, the MARD did not approach it and went on a strike instead. The petition refers to previous HC orders – in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 – wherein the courts had directed the doctors to desist from going on strikes or mass bunking. It also said the doctors had given undertakings not to do so in 2013 and 2016.