Gujarat: 30,000 doctors observe strike over rules on hospital glass facades, ICUs on ground floor

AHMEDABAD: Over 30,000 private doctors in Gujarat observed a one-day strike on Friday against a recent state government diktat on glass facades of hospitals and shifting of Intensive Care Units to the ground floor.

These rules were framed after a directive of the High Court and the stir was held as the demand to comply within seven days was "illogical", said Dr Mehul Shah, secretary of the Gujarat State Branch (GSB) of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which had called for the protest.

"Our strike remained successful as over 30,000 doctors, who are carrying out private practice and are members of IMA, stayed away from work today. Hospitals across the state are getting notices from authorities to implement the new rules within seven days, which is totally illogical and will ultimately affect the people," said Shah.

The Gujarat HC, while hearing a public interest litigation on fire safety and other aspects in hospitals, had recently directed the state government to make sure ICUs in private hospitals were situated on the ground floor.

"The court also wants hospitals to remove glass facades of hospital buildings. Directions have also been issued for hospitals operating in buildings having no BU (Building Use) permission. The government is issuing us notices and asking us to comply within seven days. This is highly impractical," said Dr Devendra Patel, immediate past president of IMA's Gujarat chapter.

"If we shift the ICU to the ground floor, more patients will be infected. This will also decrease the numbers of ICU beds drastically. Thus, to give a message to the government, we gave a strike call, which was successful as over 30,000 doctors joined it," said Patel.

While emergency cases were referred to government hospitals, facilities that had patients continued to operate.