PANAJI
Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) on Tuesday called off their four-days long strike following an assurance from the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on providing a safer working environment for medical professionals, especially female doctors and associate staff.
The resident doctors at the State-run Goa Medical College and Hospital have been protesting since Friday, last week, demanding safety of healthcare workers and justice to the trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at government run hospital Kolkata.
The GARD delegation on Tuesday met the Health Minister and put across their list of security and safety measures to be implemented at all government hospitals with special focus on women health professionals. In their 20-point memorandum submitted to the Minister, GARD has spoken about the need for additional CCTVs, security personnels, special night transport facility for women health workers and others.
Rane assured the delegation to take up the matter before the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and also place it before the Cabinet for necessary decision and implementation. Rane said that there is a need to amend the Law to protect the healthcare workers against violence and other atrocities and the same needs to be discussed in the Cabinet.
“I am with the doctors… this government is with the doctors… we understand their sentiments and assure to look into their demands in a positive way,” he said.
Rane said that the doctors have raised several safety issues like installation of more CCTVs, deploying security persons, special focus on safety of female health professionals and other basic infrastructure upgradation across all government run hospitals.
The Minister also said that a dedicated Female Health Officer will be appointed to handle all the issues concerning female medical staff and to address the same.
