Tripura CM directs officials to act as AGMC resident doctors threaten pen-down strike

Tripura Chief Minister and Health Minister Manik Saha on October 3 directed senior officials to look into the dispute involving resident doctors of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and G.B. Pant Hospital after the doctors threatened a pen-down strike from October 5.

Saha said he had taken note of the matter and received a document related to the dispute. He directed officials to speak to the concerned parties and examine the issue.

“The doctors have also filed a case. We have forwarded the matter to the Home Secretary to take it up with the DGP and take appropriate action,” the chief minister said.

The intervention came after the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of AGMC and G.B. Pant Hospital issued an ultimatum, saying resident doctors and postgraduate trainees would begin a pen-down strike from 9 am on October 5 if their demands were not addressed.

The dispute follows an incident involving a senior resident doctor and the subsequent circulation of videos and other material on social media.

The RDA has alleged that the material was recorded and circulated without consent and has raised concerns over what it described as misleading and unauthorised content.

Among its demands, the doctors’ body has sought immediate arrest and legal action against those allegedly involved in recording and circulating the video. It has also demanded action against social media pages, media platforms and other entities that allegedly published or republished unverified, defamatory or misleading material.

The association has further sought removal of videos, photographs and other online posts that it considers misleading or defamatory, along with corrections or clarifications from platforms and media organisations where appropriate.

Resident doctors had earlier staged a sit-in outside the principal’s office and submitted a memorandum seeking measures to protect the safety, privacy and professional dignity of healthcare workers.

With the October 5 deadline approaching, the state government's response and any further action by the police are expected to determine whether the proposed strike goes ahead.