IMA Maharashtra to decide on Monday doctor strike after Dombivli hospital assault
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra is scheduled to meet on Sunday to decide whether to proceed with a proposed statewide token strike on Monday. The strike was originally called to protest an assault on doctors at Dombivli’s Shastrinagar Municipal Hospital. While the state-level IMA prepares for its decision, several local medical associations and the Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) have already withdrawn their strike calls.
The decision to withdraw by local bodies came after the Bombay High Court cancelled the bail granted to the accused individuals involved in the assault at the Dombivli hospital. This judicial action prompted multiple medical groups to reconsider the protest.
To determine the final stance of the state IMA, a crucial meeting of all stakeholders has been scheduled for early Sunday morning. This meeting will bring together representatives from various healthcare sectors, including the councils of Ayurveda, nursing, physiotherapy, and pharmacy. A joint decision on whether doctors across Maharashtra will strike on Monday will be announced immediately after the discussions conclude.
Dr. Santosh Kadam of the IMA confirmed that the state body’s ultimate decision on the proposed protest would depend entirely on the outcome of Sunday's joint meeting with the other healthcare organizations.
In a separate development, the AMC withdrew its strike call on Saturday evening. The association's leadership cited an appeal by the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court as the primary reason for calling off their protest.
Dr. Sudhir Naik, an office-bearer of the AMC, explained the decision to withdraw the strike. He noted that the association chose to respect the court's intervention. According to Dr. Naik, the AMC did not know whether the Acting Chief Justice acted specifically on their representation or on other information, but they felt they could not ignore the judicial appeal.
With the AMC and other local medical associations pulling out, the potential impact of Monday's proposed strike may be significantly reduced, even if the IMA Maharashtra decides to go ahead with the protest.
