Friday, May 09, 2003
Friday, May 09, 2003 |
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Tamil Nadu-Chennai
By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau
The number of elective surgeries performed daily has been reduced by nearly 30 per cent for lack of assistants, said doctors in the General Hospital, and the waitlist for elective surgeries grew longer on Thursday. Various versions were given for postponement of surgeries. A cardiothoracic surgeon said only four out of 10 surgeries were performed after considering the condition of patients. The out-patient block has been less crowded as the strike wears on, going by hospital records. Among in-patients, those ``who are recuperating fast'' are being advised to go home and come back for a follow-up later, say the doctors. While not denying the claims made by the doctors, the Dean of the Madras Medical College, P. Vijayalakshmi, said the number of elective surgeries was down by about 20 per cent owing to strained resources. The number of out-patients had come down, but only marginally (to 4,970 on Wednesday from a daily average of 7,000). There was also a decrease in the strength of in-patients. Thursday's records showed that there were 1,298 in-patients compared to an average of about 1,500 daily. In the Stanley Hospital, there was a 20 per cent fall in out-patient turnout. The deputy superintendent, S. K. Rajan, said at least 30 per cent of the in-patients, who were ``doing well, were requested to go home and come to the out-patient block for a follow-up.'' Patient care, he said, suffered heavily in the absence of doctors from the wards. In the Kilpauk and Royapettah hospitals, doctors said they were ``pulling on'' with the available strength.
Series of agitations
Meanwhile, Government doctors said they would launch a series of agitations beginning Saturday if the State Government did not revoke its order allowing new private medical colleges. K. Prakasam, president, Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association, said members Statewide would join the strike, not heeding the Government's threat of slapping the Essential Services Maintenance Act on them. Today, the doctors held a one-hour token protest in medical colleges and headquarters hospital all over the State and they would stop elective surgeries from May 10 if a solution was not reached. They would stage a one-day token strike on May 14 and from the next day, go on a ``needle-and-knife-down'' protest, stopping all surgeries except in emergencies. If the deadlock persisted, the doctors would go on an indefinite strike from May 21. However, they would treat deserving patients free in private hospitals. In another development, the Government said it would not forward internal assessment marks and attendance records to the MGR Medical University. Hall tickets would be refused if students did not return to classes by May 15, said the Director of Medical Education, C. Ravindranath. A university statement said MBBS and BDS examinations would be held as per schedule from June 2. The next MBBS examination was scheduled for January 2004 and the BDS examination for November 2003. The condition of four students, who have been on fast for the past three days, deteriorated further today. Two of them fell unconscious last night due to low sugar and were put on intravenous fluids today, the medicos said.
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