Kota (Rajasthan): A fast deteriorating public health situation in Rajasthan — where nearly thousands of doctors have gone on strike since November 6 — is now facing an unexpected backlash from within the community.
A private dairy federation in Kota, which has been the epicentre of protests by more than 640 doctors over the last five days, has announced it will stop supplying milk to the striking doctors.
The president of Kota Private Dairy Federation, Mohammad Umar, has said that are over 300 private dairies in Kota that are part of the federation, will now not deliver milk to the residences of the doctors who have joined the statewide agitation.
Umar has told local media that at a time when seasonal diseases are at their peak, a strike by doctors is unethical considering that poor patients have nowhere to go.
The doctors have gone on strike, mainly to demand better facilities at workplaces, in order to treat their patients better, they claim.
The general secretary of All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association, Durga Shankar Saini, has told local media that the doctors were forced to go on strike as the state government did not pay heed to their 33-point demand.
“These demands are not in the interest of the doctors but for improvement of medical and healthcare facilities that would eventually be beneficial for the patients,” Dr Saini was quoted by local media.
Meanwhile, the state government is now reportedly mulling over the option of imposing Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) in the state. Imposing RESMA would immediately make the strike unlawful and mandate strict punishment against the doctors including their arrest.
The public health crisis, in form of agitating doctors, in Rajasthan has been in making for a long time. Earlier last month, around 10,000 doctors in Rajasthan went on one day’s leave to protest better working conditions, increase in their rural allowance, separate allowance for treatment of infectious diseases, timely promotion and rectification in salary discrepancies, along with over two dozen other demands. While state government had assured them that their demands would be met, the issue has never really been resolved till now.
As of now, the state government has asked eight major private hospitals to compensate for the shortfall in number of doctors in public sector by providing free OPD services till the standoff goes on.
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