Mumbai: In a powerful show of solidarity, the Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors’ Association (MSRDA) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condemning the public suspension of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) by the state’s Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane. Though the suspension was later reversed by the Chief Minister, the association described the incident as a serious affront to the dignity and morale of medical professionals nationwide.
The incident occurred on June 7, when the Health Minister reportedly suspended the CMO in full public view, allegedly without prior inquiry or explanation. MSRDA, in its letter argued that the symbolic damage caused by such humiliation extends beyond the individual doctor, harming the very foundations of trust in public healthcare institutions.
Doctors Are Made Scapegoats For Administrative Or Political Gain: MSRDA
In a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, MSRDA stated: “This episode is not merely a bureaucratic misstep; it is emblematic of a disturbing trend where doctors are made scapegoats for administrative or political gain.” The association recalled similar past incidents, including the assault on junior doctors in Kolkata in 2019 and other instances of verbal and physical abuse of medical personnel across the country, as part of a growing pattern of mistreatment.
MSRDA Letter To PM Modi |
The doctors' body stressed that India’s government doctors are often overworked, under-resourced, and yet serve relentlessly across rural and urban healthcare systems, sometimes pulling 48-hour shifts under severe pressure. The letter lamented that, despite their service, doctors increasingly face public blame, threats and now even public suspension by political figures.
MSRDA has demanded a formal public apology by the Goa Health Minister at the GMCH Casualty Department, symbolically significant as the place where doctors work under maximum stress and pressure. They believe this would not be an act of capitulation but a powerful gesture affirming the state’s respect for its medical community.
MSRDA Letter To PM Modi |
In addition to the apology, the association urged the central government to:
1. Introduce strict protocols preventing public suspension or defamation of medical officers without due process.
2. Set up institutional grievance redressal mechanisms to protect doctors from harassment by authorities.
3. Enforce zero-tolerance policies against political or administrative intimidation of healthcare professionals.
Reaffirming their faith in the Centre, MSRDA said, “We now call upon your compassion and strength once more, to stand with us, not just as doctors, but as citizens who serve the nation’s health tirelessly.”
