Medical Body IMA Protests Outside Police Station In Goa, Demands Arrest Of Assault Case Accused

Members of the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Goa unit on Monday staged a protest outside the Porvorim police station demanding the arrest of a person who had allegedly assaulted a doctor at a private hospital.

A delegation of the top medical body met Deputy Superintendent of Police Edwin Colaco, who assured that the culprit would be arrested soon. The delegation set a September 1 deadline for action in the matter.

IMA state chapter president Dr Vinayak Buvaji said doctors were protected under the Goa Medicare Act, 2013, and police were bound to take swift action against culprits in case of an assault on them.

"We want to inform you (police) that we can resort to a ''tool-down'' strike if no arrest is made," Dr Dattaram Desai, a senior doctor, told senior officers.

In a ''tool-down'' strike, professionals/workers report to work but keep away from assigned jobs.

The IMA members said while an FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint, the accused in the assault case was allowed to go after being called to the police station.

They said they are protected under the Medicare Act but the police department was not implementing the law. "We are scared to work under such circumstances," a senior doctor said.

Dr Saidutt Kuvelkar, another senior medical practitioner, said doctors will resort to a strike if no arrest was made. "The police will be held responsible if doctors go on a strike," he said.

The doctors gave a deadline of Wednesday morning (September 1) to the police to arrest the accused failing which they will decide the further course of action.

Responding to the demand, Colaco said the accused involved in the case would be arrested soon.

The victim, Dr Amol Tilve, lodged the complaint on Friday with the Porvorim police stating he had been hit by a man, whose wife had delivered a baby at the private hospital where he worked, over some issue.