New Delhi, April 26: Resident doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday evening went on an indefinite strike demanding immediate removal of a faculty member who allegedly slapped a resident doctor.
The strike is likely to paralyse many of the hospital functions including routine surgeries, out-patient clinics and academic activities.
"It is hereby informed to the concerned authorities that Resident Doctor's Association, AIIMS has declared an indefinite strike with effect from 5 p.m. on April 26, 2018," said a notice issued by the association and signed by RDA President Harjit Singh Bhatti.
RDA members said that Atul Kumar, Chief of R.P. Centre for Opthalmic Sciences, slapped a resident doctor (name withheld) during rounds on Wednesday in front of patients and other hospital staff for not keeping his patient ready when he was little ahead of his schedule.
"Due to the casual dealing of Atul Kumar by the authorities who has physically assaulted a resident doctor, we have no option but to preserve our self-respect and stop working ... Not only has Atul Kumar failed to lead by example, his repeated misbehavior has tarnished the student-teacher relationship.
"Such people should not be allowed to lead any department, and we demand his immediate resignation as Chief of R.P. Centre, AIIMS," said Bhatti.
Accepting the slapping incident, AIIMS in a statement said the accused faculty member has "apologised repeatedly to the resident, immediately and today morning".
It went on to say that the resident doctor wrote to AIIMS Director acknowledging the apologies tendered and "requested that no further action be taken in this regard".
However, the resident doctors have gone on an indefinite strike.
"As a consequence of this strike, all routine surgeries have been cancelled, out-patient clinics will run in a restricted manner, and all academic activity and exams are postponed indefinitely," said the hospital administration.
AIIMS further informed that it has instituted contingency measures to take care of the admitted patients including those in the ICUs and wards.
"The Director has appealed to the RDA to call off this illegal strike in the interest of patient care," AIIMS said in the statement.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sharad Pawar praised RSS after seeing how it burst fake narrative balloon of LS polls: Fadnavis
Nagpur, Jan 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar praised the RSS after realising how the outfit managed to overcome the fake narrative spread by the opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The opposition had claimed BJP wanted to win 400 seats to change the Constitution and end reservations, a narrative which BJP leaders later claimed hit the party hard.
On Pawar praising the RSS recently, the CM said the MVA was successful in creating a fake narrative during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"When assembly polls were approaching, many people from diverse fields who are inspired by the RSS played their role and burst the balloon of this fake narrative. Sharad Pawar saheb is very intelligent. He would have certainly studied this aspect. He realised that this (RSS) is not a regular political power but a nationalist power. In any competition it is good to praise others," he added.
That is why Pawar may have praised the RSS, Fadnavis said.
Speaking at an interaction with senior editor Vivek Ghalsasi at Late Vilasji Fadnis Jivhala programme here, Fadnavis also said he had asked for organisational work when Eknath Shinde was made chief minister in June 2022, but senior leaders asked him to join the government.
He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him not to behave like an extra-constitutional authority in the government.
He said the decision to become deputy chief minister on the command of the party leadership earned him a lot of praise from the cadre.
After the massive mandate the ruling alliance received in the 2024 assembly polls, Fadnavis said people and party workers would not have been happy if the CM was not from the BJP.
Shinde himself agreed within minutes that the CM must be from the BJP, which itself got 132 seats and was close to a majority of its own in the 288-member assembly, he added.
On Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray meeting him during the winter sessions of the legislature in Nagpur, Fadnavis said he had announced he would not indulge in politics of revenge after becoming CM and all leaders responded positively to it.
On chances of the NCP (SP) and NCP coming closer or reuniting, Fadnavis said, "If you see the developments that took place from 2019 to 2024, I realised never say never and anything can happen. Uddhav Thackeray goes to some other party and Ajit Pawar comes to us. In politics anything can happen though I am not saying this should happen."
He praised BJP leader Arun Gujarati from whom he learnt patience, which he claimed was an important quality in politics along with the ability to take criticism.
In a lighter vein, he said, "I only get angry when I am hungry. If you see me angry then give me something to eat and my anger will go away."
