The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) strongly condemned the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, for “issuing warnings and threatening” doctors and hospitals amid rising cases of coronavirus in the national capital.
According to the statement, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) condemned Delhi government’s action to file FIR against the authorities of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a leading private hospital in the national capital for “violating rules for registering coronavirus tests”.
“Delhi Medical Association strongly condemns the way Delhi CM (chief minister) is warning the doctors and threatening the hospitals about COVID-19 patients admissions and tests,” the DMA said.
Delhi Medical Association strongly condemns the way Delhi CM is warning the doctors & threatening hospitals about #COVID19 patients’ admissions&tests. FIR on Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is highly condemnable and demoralizing for the whole medical fraternity: Delhi Medical Association pic.twitter.com/SsirANUdVC
— ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2020
Condemning the FIR against doctors and calling it demoralising, the doctors’ body in its statement said, “Doctors who are serving the people of Delhi tirelessly from last two months in this pandemic crisis risking their lives feel insulted by the way they are being treated,” it said.
The statement read, “Hospitals are backbone of healthcare and are serving the patients COVID or non-COVID”. The DMA also alleged, “they are being penalised and government instead of praising their efforts is issuing new diktats daily”.
Further, the DMA, in its letter with the support of over 15,000 members, said that the doctors of Delhi are already overworked and overstressed in this hour of pandemic crisis and the state government is unnecessarily putting pressure on healthcare systems.
The Delhi Medical Association also demanded a coordination committee for medical professionals and the Delhi government. The body also asked the Arvind Kejriwal-led government to set up adequate testing facilities.
The doctors’ body also urged for smoother patient transfers and cremations, while demanding the government to appoint and nodal officers for overall coordination of coronavirus care.
FIR against Ganga Ram Hospital
On Saturday, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed by Arvind Kejriwal-led-Delhi Government against the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for allegedly violating directives of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on conducting Coronavirus testing, under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
The FIR was filed on the recommendation of Deputy Health Secretary, Amit Kumar Pasami, under Section 188 (disobedience) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the complaint, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had not been using the RT PCP app while collecting Coronavirus samples as recently as June 3. Reportedly, the use of the said app is mandatory under the Epidemic Disease Covid-19 Regulation 2020 Act.
Doctors, patients face challenges at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital
Meanwhile, the doctors at Ganga Ram hospital have dubbed the two orders, a temporary ban on testing and diktat to dedicate 80% hospital beds for coronavirus patients, as being at odds with each other.
Following the Delhi Government order, cancer patients are forced to stay without treatment. Reportedly, the hospital would test 150 to 170 Coronavirus samples and conduct 30-40 surgeries per day. All of it had come to a halt since Thursday.
