Striking doctors meet Health Minister, submit memo

Gandhinagar, Jun 13 (UNI) Gujarat Health Minister Ashok Bhatt today assured the striking gynaecologists and radiologists that the government will take measures to avoid any ''harassment'' of them under the Pre-Natal Diagonistic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act and promised to expedite the hearing of the cases, registered against any of them.

The Minister said training camps will be held in every district to help the doctors in filling up a 19-column form, which had been mandatory under the Act, if a sonography is conducted. These camps will be held by June 30, he told UNI.

He also said the hearing in cases involving seizure of ultrasound machines or on notices served to gynaecologists, will be expedited.

About 1,000 doctors from across the state struck work and took out a rally in the capital, protesting against the''harassment'' by government machinery under the PNDT Act. They met the Minister in the evening and briefed him about the problems they had been facing.

They also submitted to him a memorandum, enlisting their demands.

''The Minister said he needed a week's time to study them,'' said Dr Jignish Shah, President of the Ahmedabad Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society (AOGS).

He said,''We are very much for implementation of the PNDT Act and feel that the government should take all measures to stop the practice of sex selective abortions.

But as of today, the gynaecologists and radiologists are being harrassed for not filling up a 19-column form, which has been made mandatory before carrying out a sonography test.'' ''We cannot be charged for not filling up a form properly. Our machines are being confisticated, which is too heavy a penalty. They can impose a fine, if needed,''he suggested.

''This is a token strike--we plan to go on indefinite strike, if such things continue,'' he told UNI.

Meanwhile, services remained affected in major hospitals as the doctors stayed away from the OPD. ''We did not run out our OPD today. But, we are attending to our indoor patients,'' Dr Harsh Desai of Sterling Hospital said.

Another doctor at the Apollo Hospital said ''We cannot close our emergency services. The OPD was closed.'' UNI MMG PM MSJ ND2012