'Raj'Niti has taken toll on Bihar Relief work.

Doctors from various hospitals in Maharashtra have been providing relief to flood victims in Bihar. Some of them have even taken leaves when hospitals did not sent them officially. Recent agitation in Maharashtra by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena against North Indians has left many doctors fearing a possible retaliation in Bihar. At least a dozen doctors who were to leave for Bihar recently to work in flood relief camps have refused to go citing security reasons. The voluntary organization "Doctors for you" which had started with 40 doctors and was expecting three batches to replace outgoing doctors is now left with only 5 doctors. While an average Indian consider India as one, politicians like Raj Thakare try to create a rift in the society to carry forward their agenda of "Divide and Rule"

Sting operation to improve sex ratio

The Uttar pradesh Government have recently conceived a novel way to crack down on sex determination centres. Ten districts with unfavorable sex ratio have been issued orders to equip themselves with necessary paraphernalia required for sting operation. These will include cameras and recorders to get evidence against errant doctors who indulge in unethical, antisocial and illegal practice of sex determination. Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar are two such districts. The health department will also train it's staff as decoy customers.

Source : http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=13_10_2008_007_004&kword=&mode=1&Archtype=

Salary of Resident doctors after 6th pay commission

Ever heard of 6th pay commission recommendation actually reducing pay?
Resident doctors working in various Delhi Government hospitals are an anxious lot these days. The revised recommendation of 6th pay commission does not mention the non-practicing allowance, bringing down their pay scales. The allowance is given when doctors do not practice on their own outside duty hours. "The salary recommended in the 5th pay commission was revised in 1998 after the doctors protested, as this allowance was missing in the initial reommendation. The finance ministry has yet again missed this allowance in the revised 6th pay commission reducing our basic pay packet," said Dr Akhil Kumar, vice president, resident doctors association at Lok Nayak Hospital.
“We support the doctors. Since 1986, resident doctors have been getting salaries as per revised scales. We will write to the government over the issue,” said Dr Anil Bansal, assistant secretary, IMA. According to resident doctors, the government has created huge disparity amongst medical professionals. “Staff nurses with less than one year of experience would be drawing more salary that senior resident doctors. This is just not done,” said Dr Dhirendra Dhiraj, coordinating secretary, federation of resident doctors association (FORDA).
Resident doctors across government hospitals in the Capital went to work wearing black badges on Monday. They will go on strike if the Ministry does not look into the problem within 48 hours.

New Hope for AIDS Patients

The centre has informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to take firm action against doctors and paramedical staff,both in the government and private sectors, for refusing treatment to HIV/AIDS patients.
Apprising a bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan about its latest guidelines, issued to state governments and private hospitals, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said: "It will be ensured there is no discrimination or stigma to PLHAs (persons living with HIV or AIDS) at health care facilities otherwise. The cases of denial of service to positive patients would be viewed seriously and action initiated in all such cases." A copy of the guidelines, incorporated in an office memorandum dated August 26, was placed before the court. This comes in the backdrop of complaints highlighting the light of patients denied treatment by private hospitals. One such patient recently moved the Supreme Court, alleging that a Mumbai hospital had declined to offer him treatment.

You can find original news at: 'Docs who turn away AIDS patients will pay: Centre'

Insensitive Govermment

A senior resident doctor at King Edward Medical College (KEMC), working in inhospitable conditions had died when lightning struck on a temporary bamboo structure functioning as his clinic in a relief camp in Bihar. But Bihar Government has nothing but condolences to offer to the bereaved family of Dr. Chandrakant Patil . The Calamity relief fund (CRF)accounts for providing immediate relief to victims of Pest attack and cloud brust, not lightning. There is no provision in CRF to pay compensation according to Principal Secretary, Disaster management R K Singh.
Details of Dr Patil at: http://DelhiMedico.googlepages.com/servingthenation

Mob attacks on doctors

The incidence of mob attacks are increasing day by day and the medical profession seems to be facing the burnt of it. It is the result of decreasing tolerance, increasing frustration, expectation of instant gratification, delayed and unequal justice and weakened police system, compounded by sensationalism by media, who judge and pass the verdict on the hapless victims without verifying facts, which then is copied at other places. Mobs are using brute force to get their way. A complication in a patient, or the unfortunate event of death makes the doctor a criminal and a mob collects, acting in an emotional frenzy, leaving all reason and logic behind, and cause irreparable damage to property and the doctor's and hospital's reputation with no repercussion at legal and financial level. If a patient does not want to pay the bills, the family raises a ruckus at the flimsiest excuse, get abusive and get away with it. It is high time for us to get united, strengthen and help each other in the hour of need.
DR. ATUL KUMAR GUPTA  President, IMAEDB 2007-2008

Why Doctors Should have an Association?

As a student aspiring to become a doctor one competes among appx. 3 lakh students for a meager 2000 seats all over India and simultaneously face the wrath of reservation and people who are ready to spend tens of lakhs of rupees for getting their non deserving wards admission to medical colleges by unjust means. Then after hard tried and hard worked admission to a medical college you prepare for another prolonged & hard battle of five years in a medical college only to become a MBBS worth a few thousand of rupees as stipend during internship, house job, PG or senior residency which is not sufficient even buy your bread & butter. An II-Tian or II-Main or a computer technologist or a person in a related field would be earning lakhs of rupees by that time or student who prefers to go for IAS or IPS or IFS or IRS would be more powerful & earn much much more then a medical graduate or postgraduate. You also have to face unjustified & unthoughtful Govt. policies even when you have doctors sitting at the helm of affairs who want to prolong agonies of a medical graduate by adding more years into his hard studies. This is not all ! When you complete your studies and then try to settle down in life at a ripe age of around 28 to 30 you face new challenges in the form of physical assaults by patients & relatives, a hell lot of regulatory acts, legal binding in the form of CPA, MTP Act, Nursing home registration act, PNDT act, commercial house taxes, electricity & water bills equating you with business community & still wanting a doctor to come in essential services to provide free services to community and still be at the mercy of others. As if that is not all, a bunch of "manipulator mind less", "corrupt", "deaf, dumb, docile & deficient" officials (i.e., MCD) come into action & tighten noose round your neck and squeeze any thing & every thing out that is left in you and make it sure that you are not able to work. "NOW WHERE TO GO ?" This is the time when your unity and association can come to your rescue.
Friends so association is a "MUST" and make duly elected office bearers of your association more powerful by joining hands with them so that united we can fight against the menace of politics, judiciary, law enforcing authorities, bureaucracy and various Govt. departments.

Dr. RAVI MALIK, President IMA East Delhi Branch 2008-2009

Andhra ordinance to make attack on doctors punishable

Hyderabad, Dec 17,2007 - Bowing to the demand of striking doctors, the Andhra Pradesh government Monday decided to bring an ordinance to protect them from attacks by relatives of patients by making it a punishable offence. However, doctors are continuing with their strike for other demands.The ordinance, the first of its kind, makes attacks on doctors, nursing staff or any paramedic a cognizable and non-bailable offence and the guilty could be sentenced to three years' imprisonment.The cabinet, which met here, decided to issue the ordinance even as medical services remained affected due the continuing strike by junior doctors at all government-run hospitals across the state.Minister for Information Anam Ramnarayan Reddy told newspersons after the cabinet meeting that the ordinance would be issued shortly. 'A person found guilty of attacking a doctor or other medical staff on duty may be sentenced up to three years in jail,' he said.

(Earlier, an attack on doctors at Niloufer Children's Hospital here on Dec 2 by a Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(MIM) legislator and his supporters had sparked an indefinite strike. The 11-day strike, which allegedly resulted in the death of 40 children at the hospital due to negligence)

Andhra ordinance to make attack on doctors punishable

Ordinance to provide protection to medical professionals in Chennai too

CHENNAI: Any uncalled for attack on a doctor or a medical institution in the State will henceforth attract imprisonment of three to 10 years, according to an ordinance promulgated recently.

The ordinance, providing protection to medical professionals, is on the lines of a law enacted in Andhra Pradesh. Governor Surjit Singh Barnala gave his consent on Friday, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said here on Sunday.

The ordinance, a long-pending demand of doctors both in the private and the public sector, provides protection to all registered doctors, nurses, students of medicine and nursing and paramedical workers.

The Chief Minister considered the request at length and, after discussion, the ordinance was drafted.

Dr Rajesh Talwar, Dr Nupur Talwar and Dr Anita Durrani have been depanelled from Fortis Hospital, Noida. The move comes after the UP Police prematurily declared Dr Rajesh Talwar a murderer in Arushi murder case on circumstancial bases and did character assassination of the two lady doctors.
Delhi Medical Association, have criticised the removal of the three from the list of visiting doctors at Fortis Hospital, Noida, as a "hasty" step. "Private institutions are becoming more sensitive to their image and not the image of the doctors," Dr Sanjeev Malik, IMA president, told this newspaper. He said if the case against Dr Rajesh Talwar is proved, his medical registration will also be cancelled. "But to terminate the services of all three doctors at this stage is premature." Women doctors in particular are insistent that Dr Nupur Talwar and Dr Anita Durrani not be victimised. "Why should their character be assassinated when the police has no clear proof to establish their involvement?" asked one.
"The UP Doctors’ Association should take note ... and show solidarity with the doctors. We can only show sympathy. It is not fair to punish the wife and another lady doctor since there is no proof of their involvement," said Dr H.S. Kukreja, DMA president.