The City Headlines
Ludhiana, April 2
Doctors at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept OPD services closed in Ludhiana on Saturday. Patients were anxious for treatment as doctors were on strike. The city doctors are demanding action in the Archana Sharma suicide case. Archana Sharma was a doctor in Rajasthan’s Lalsot district. She committed suicide as she was accused of a murder of a patient that she was looking after.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had called for a bandh on Saturday. The IMA Ludhiana and IMA State Province had also appealed to the hospitals, nursing homes and clinic operators of the city to stop OPD services. The doctors did not attend the patients as they were on a strike.
Dr. Sunil Katia, Secretary, IMA Punjab and Dr. Bimal Kanish, President, Ludhiana, said that the decision to stop giving OPD was taken in connection with the Archana Sharma suicide case. They further said that only Emergency services were provided.
The protesting doctors had asked for action against the police officer who had put murder allegations against the lady doctor in Rajasthan, after which she committed suicide.
As per the reports, Dr. Archana Sharma was looking after a patient who died of a haemorrhage soon after giving birth to a child. The deceased’s family held demonstrations outside the hospital where Archana Sharma worked.
The police officers reportedly said that she was distressed with an FIR being filed against her. She left a heartbreaking suicide note behind. “Don’t harass innocent doctors,” is what was written in her suicide note in bold and capital letters.
