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India Covid crisis: Doctors threaten to strike over attacks patients' kin in Goa

Panaji - According to official figures, the state has seen a total of 1,146 deaths.

With active Covid-19 cases in Goa surging from 1,716 on April 1 to 20,898 by Thursday, doctors are feeling the pressure as abusive and sometimes violent relatives confront them.

“It saddens us immensely that even after giving our best efforts, while being crippled by lack of adequate facilities, oxygen supply, beds, manpower etc. We have been on the receiving end of multiple threats and violent incidents in the past,” said the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) on Thursday.

The GARD warned that if any further violent incidents happen involving a resident doctor or staff at the Goa Medical College (GMC), South Goa District Hospital (SGDH), ESI Hospital or any other Covid hospital, “We, the 300-odd doctors managing almost all the workload of Covid-19 in the state, will have no other choice but to withdraw our services with immediate effect as the people and authorities have left us with no other choice.”

The state saw 35 Covid-related deaths on Thursday including a 19-year-old woman. According to official figures, the state has seen a total of 1,146 deaths.

GARD referred to incidents where a person abused doctors at the SGDH after a relative’s death and another where some even broke a ventilator at the GMC.

“We will not be giving any further notices or warnings before stopping our services,” said GARD. “If the administration cannot provide security to the doctors or if the people of Goa fail to understand the situation and the plight of healthcare workers, then we will not be responsible for any further untoward incidents happening as a result of withdrawal of our services.”

Chief minister Pramod Sawant has appealed to the people not to be rude to doctors.