Team Herald
PANJIM: The doctors from Goa staged a protest meeting in front of the Old Goa Medical College (GMC) building, Panjim over the suicide by a colleague from Rajasthan after the police charged her with murder for the death of a pregnant woman at her clinic.
Over 100 medical practitioners representing the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Goa and its branches, Association of Private Nursing Homes, Panjim Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, Goa Dental Association, Radiology Association, Goa Homeopathy Association, Goa Ayurvedic Association and Goa Medical Representatives Association participated in the protest meeting.
Addressing the gathering, IMA State president Dr Rufino Monteiro condoled the untimely demise of a bright young gynaecologist Dr Archana Sharma from Dausa, Rajasthan and condemned the illegal FIR filed against her under Section 302 (murder) without following due legal procedure. He decried the mobocracy, violence, falsified media trial and demand of extortion.
Dr Monteiro appealed to the media to play their role in educating the public against such violence and not to sensationalise such matters but to do a thorough investigation and give the right side of the case.
Dr Suraj Prabhudesai of Association of Private Nursing Homes, Dr Shailesh Kamat of Panjim Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Sicletica Rebello, former IMA State president Dr Shekhar Salkar, Dr Kedar Padte, Dr Govind Kamat and Goa Medical Representatives Association president Nilesh Bagkar also spoke.
Later, a delegation comprising Dr Monteiro, honorary secretary Dr Amol Tilve, treasurer Dr Dayanand Nayan, Dr Shekhar Salkar, Dr Govind Kamat and Dr Shailesh Kamat met Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and submitted a memorandum urging him to constitute a committee as required as per the Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions Act 2013 besides to direct the police officers to act within the framework of the Supreme Court guidelines.
The delegation said that the term ‘medical negligence’ is being used synonymous with ‘medical complications’. This sends a wrong signal and this practice has to be condemned. Nobody calls vehicular accident as driving negligence. Similarly medical complications should be reported as an incident or accident. It is up to appropriate authority to decide whether it was a case of negligence or not.
According to Dr Monteiro, the Chief Minister was receptive, deeply saddened at the demise of Dr Archana Sharma and promptly gave instructions to the police officers and media to be sensitised on this issue.
