Doctors go on flash strike over attack on colleagues

Doctors and health staff of a government hospital here went on a two-hour-long strike on Tuesday to protest against the alleged assault on their colleagues by a group of people for the delay in arranging a hearse to take their relative's body, police said.

Doctors and employees in various primary health centres and government hospitals in the peripheral pockets also resorted to a strike to seek protection to the medicos and arrest of all those who allegedly assaulted the doctors and damaged property.

A health department source said a patient hailing from Tirukanchipet village, who had committed suicide by hanging, was brought dead to the hospital.

The authorities kept the body in the mortuary till the arrival of the hearse. Since there was a delay in the arrival of the hearse, the patient's relative restive and used abusive language against the doctors and assaulted the staff, the source said.

A police complaint was lodged and the hospital staff demanded the arrest of those who attacked the doctor and damaged the staff and damaging the hospital properties.

The doctors who resorted to flash strike at the government headquarters hospital wanted the implementation of steps to provide security to the doctors in health institutions.

`We will pursue the case till justice is done`, the source said. It may be noted that attack on doctors accused of medical negligence had taken place in the recent past in West Bengal and Delhi sparking off a nationwide strike by the medical fraternity demanding security.