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Home > Mumbai > Mumbai News > Article > BMC says 135 died during strike Maharashtra doctors deny claim

BMC says 135 died during strike, Maharashtra doctors deny claim

Updated on: 25 March,2017 08:50 AM IST  | 
Vinay Dalvi and Rupsa Chakraborty |

The submissions were presented in court, even as the state said it will sack doctors who do not report to duty by 8 am today

BMC says 135 died during strike, Maharashtra doctors deny claim

Patients outside KEM Hospital as doctors slowly start resuming work on Friday night. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Patients outside KEM Hospital as doctors slowly start resuming work on Friday night. Pic/Suresh Karkera


The MARD submitted an affidavit in the Bombay High Court yesterday, after the IMA said it was calling the strike off, stating that all doctors would resume work from 8 am Saturday. While 500 have already rejoined, 1,300 said they would call off the strike only after seeing the security beefed up.


Several doctors posted on the night shift are expected to resume work in the morning shift today to abide by the court's direction.


Striking numbers
BMC's counsel SS Pakale told the Bombay High Court that 135 people died in the three major civic hospitals - 53 in KEM, 34 in Nair and 48 in Sion. The state, through advocate general Rohit Deo, claimed that including BMC's figure, a total of 181 had died in the city during the strike.

However, Dr Sagar Mundada, chairman of the youth wing of IMA, Maharashtra, said, "On an average, 10 people die in big hospitals. Emergency services are on in every hospital, only OPD services have stopped."

Advocate Datta Mane, appearing for petitioner Ahmed Ali Siddiquie, said that despite its warning and an affidavit filed in HC, the doctors had not resumed work.

Residents doctors have been protesting since Monday against attacks by patients
Residents doctors have been protesting since Monday against attacks by patients' relatives on their colleagues. File Pic

Maha tragedy
Across Maharashtra, 377 people died - 32 in JJ Hospital, five in GT Hospital, eight in St George's Hospital, one in Cama Hospital, 35 in GMC, Miraj, 26 in VMMC, Solapur, 18 in GMC, Nagpur, 23 in GMC, Akola, 18 in VN Medical College, Yavatmal, 57 in GMC, Aurangabad, 19 in Star GMC, Ambejogai, 53 in KEM Hospital, 34 in Nair Hospital and 48 in Sion hospital since Monday.

After hearing this, the bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice Girish Kulkarni criticised the doctors and MARD and said, "You say one thing in court and act in a different manner outside. We want in writing from you on an affidavit that you are not supporting the strike, and if still doctors continue to strike, you will not come in the (way of the) punitive action process. Doctors have taken undue advantage of our sympathy."

"Are your demands (more) important than people's lives?" asked the court.

A few more hours
MARD, later in the day, submitted an affidavit through Dr Yashovardhan Kabra and Dr Swapnil Mesharam in court, claiming that it had withdrawn the strike and already requested the doctors to return to work. When the court said they must resume immediately, it asked for time till 8 am on Saturday to convey the message to all doctors.

"Tomorrow, if all doctors don't resume work before 8 am, we will start asking the state government and MARD to take action on them," said chief justice Chellur.

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