Private doctors across state strike work

CHENNAI: Most private medical and healthcare facilities in Chennai and especially in the suburban areas downed shutters on Thursday in protest against the murder of a women doctor in Thoothukudi. Suburban areas of Tambaram, Chromepet, Pallavaram, Selayur and Pammal were the worst hit with locals unable to avail the healthcare facilities. While most hospitals and private clinics remained open across the city, doctors refused to turn up for duty on Thursday. In many private clinics, the nurses and support staff were seen to be administering first aid to emergency patients and advising them to visit the Government General Hospital. The protesting doctors demanded enhanced protection for doctors, hospitals and medical fraternity.  Same was the case in most other places across Tamil Nadu. Private hospitals and clinics turned away outpatients, demanding action against police personnel. Over 250 private hospitals in Madurai city remained closed for outpatients, who came from far away places to premier hospitals like Aravind Eye Hospital.Office-bearers of the Madurai branch of The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that 1,700 members of the association struck work on Thursday. More than 260 hospitals in the city closed their outpatient clinics.Dr M Jegadeesan, president, IMA, and Dr S Babu, secretary, said that all the hospitals should be declared as protected zones. “A special court should be constituted to try the murder of Sethulakhsmi. Those police officers who did not take action based on the oral complaint about the death threat to the doctor should be suspended,” they demanded. They also insisted that the Tamil Nadu Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act should be strictly implemented.