Toxic work culture: Doctors at Bhopal hospital continue stir after colleague’s suicide

The doctors said they have been seeking the transfer from GMC of Dr Aruna Kumar, who was removed as head of the obstetrics and gynecology department a day earlier

Bhopal: More than 250 junior doctors continued their stir on the third day on Thursday at Gandhi Medical College here in protest against the death of a colleague a few days ago.

Protesting doctors claimed 40-45 surgeries were postponed and 3,000 check-ups in the out patient departments and emergency services were affected due to the stir at GMC, which sees several hundreds persons coming for treatment daily from neighbouring districts.

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These doctors said they have been seeking the transfer from GMC of Dr Aruna Kumar, who was removed as head of the obstetrics and gynecology department a day earlier.

GMC Dean Dr Arvind Rai said the hospital superintendent would be the right person to talk about the hospital stir, though he added that a contingency plan was in place.

“The power to shunt Dr Kumar from GMC lies with the state government,” Rai said, adding that no complaint was received in his office about a toxic work culture before the alleged suicide of 27-year-old post graduate student Saraswati Bala of the gynaecology department.

Dr Sanket Site, president of the GMC unit of JUDA, an association of junior doctors, told PTI that a “toxic work culture” prevailing in the facility must go before they can resume work.

“We want Dr Kumar to be removed and the toxic work culture of GMC to go. If she stays back, students fear their future may get spoiled,” he alleged.

He claimed another PG student of the paediatrics department had ended her life on January 4.

Resident doctors, numbering between 50 to 70, will join their strike on Friday, Dr Site claimed.

Dr Bala allegedly committed suicide on Monday by injecting herself with an anesthetic.
Dr Aruna Kumar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.