BSHSA calls for one-day statewide strike on Feb 14

The Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) will strike work across the state on February 14 to protest the alleged manhandling of Dr Arvind Kumar.

Dr Kumar, posted at the Hajipur sadar hospital, was allegedly manhandled by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) headquarters of Vaishali last Friday. 

The decision to strike work was taken at an emergency meeting of the BSHSA on Sunday. The association, however, decided to spare emergency medical services, including plying of ambulances from the ambit of the statewide strike. 

“We have demanded immediate action against the DSP, or else we will intensify our agitation,” said general secretary of BSHSA Dr Ranjit Kumar. 

He said barring emergency services, functioning of all government hospitals in the state would be paralysed on Tuesday. 

Joining the issue, state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) also issued a call to boycott work. The IMA told its members to skip work in out patient departments (OPDs) in private and government health facilities. 

“The IMA is against strike but the government’s nonchalant attitude in ignoring such episodes has literally forced us to resort to strike,” said senior vice-president of the association Dr Ajay Kumar. 

The Hajipur incident was not an isolated instance, he said adding over a dozen such cases have been reported in the past in which doctors were assaulted by administrative officials without any reason. 

The IMA functionary claimed that despite protests lodged by the victim doctors, the state administration had not taken any action against the guilty officials. He demanded action against them under the provisions of the Bihar Medical Service Institution and Person Protection Act, 2011 (amended in 2014). 

Citing an example of such an incident, BSHSA general secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar said during the recent Prakash Parv, one Dr Mahesh was manhandled by a police inspector at Patna City, but no action was initiated against the officer. 

Medicare has been paralysed in Vaishali district since Saturday following the incident. 

The BSHA meeting was presided over by Dr Bhimsaria. Others who participated in the meeting included Dr Ram Rekha, Dr Sunil Kumar, Dr Rajesh Kumar and Dr Ravishankar Ratnakar. 

Earlier, government doctors of Kosi division consisting of three districts – Supaul, Madhepura and Saharsa - had struck work for at least 72 hours last month following a brutal attack on Dr Sachidanand Rai by attendants of a patient, who died at the Supaul sadar hospital. 

To spare emergency medical services, including plying of ambulances, from the ambit of statewide strike