Kolkata: The beleaguared Mamta Banerjee government in the state got a relief as the Calcutta high court on Saturday told the striking doctors to reconcil while reminding them about Hippocratic oath.
The state-wide doctors strike protesting against attack on an intern doctor by the bereaved relatives of a person who died while undergoing treatment has put the state’s TMC government in trouble. What caused more embarrassment for the chief minister that doctors’ body across the country demanding apologies for inaction on the part of the government.
“It is definitely for the doctors to now turn themselves to the reconciliatory mode in the larger interest of the suffering people and answer their oath which they have taken while they became doctors,” observed the Calcutta high court while disposing off a PIL filed against the ongoing doctors strike in the state. The court , though refused to issue any specified directions in a PIL, reminded the striking doctors about the Hippocratic Oath and called upon them to reconcile.
A division bench comprising of chief justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and justice Suvra Ghosh also asked the West Bengal government to provide adequate security to the doctors.
Following the brutal attack on an intern doctor in the state by the bereaved relatives a patient who died earlier this week, doctors in the state are on the roads. Many of them have submitted their resignation protesting against the government’s inaction. The doctors strike has now spread over the country with doctors in other party of India showing solidarity with their professional colleagues.
The bench, while considering a PIL filed in this regard, said that it does not propose to deal the matter as an adversarial litigation.
“We need to provide appropriate push with requisite grease to ensure that the on going strike by a section of doctors comes to an end through governmental intervention by way of persuasion or otherwise, in accordance with law. We do so because, within the parameters of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, ‘human rights’ as understood in the civilised societies and recognised in the international domain through terms of international conventions, which bind different nations, it is the fundamental requirement that the right to health is given top priority and any need for medical help is immediately extended to any human being even if he is not a citizen,” the bench observed adding, “Therefore, we take this opportunity to state that resolution of disputes which would have arisen as a consequence of certain unfortunate events even in the hospital is not to be countered by action of eminent and well informed people like doctors by keeping away from their primary and fundamental duty to serve the people.”
The state government in the case has submitted that an FIR has been lodged and arrests have been made insofar as the alleged incidents in which the doctors are stated to be victims.
“This means that the State Government has taken efforts to push the machinery in that regard. As a necessary follows and consequence, it is definitely for the doctors to now turn themselves to the re-conciliatory mode in the larger interest of the suffering people and answer their oath which they have taken while they became doctors. The great advise given through the Hippocratic Oath ought to lead them to better ways of dealing with the problems which they are faced with.”
The court also observed that the state gvernment shall also ensure that adequate protection is provided to the hospitals and place of work of all doctors and also such places where doctors may feel insecure in any circumstances. Following this order, we hope things will take a better shape, the bench added.
