Resident doctors in the Capital on Friday boycotted work in solidarity with their counterparts in West Bengal and condemned the violence against the medical fraternity there. Patients were offered only emergency, ward and inpatient services.
The strike adversely hit outpatient departments and diagnostic services at several big hospitals in the city, including AIIMS, Lok Nayak Hospital, GTB Hospital, Hindu Rao and Ganga Ram Hospital. The hospitals joined the strike call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is now threatening to withdraw non-essential health services on June 17.
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Dr. Baba Sahib Ambedkar Hospital authorities have said that they would be joining the ‘pen down’ protest from Saturday.
“The incident at NRS Medical College in Kolkata is of barbaric nature. The IMA condemns the violence perpetrated on a young doctor. The entire medical fraternity expresses solidarity with the resident doctors who are on strike,” read a statement issued by the IMA.
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) said in a statement said, “There is a complete breakdown of law and order with reports of mob attacking doctors with weapons. The government has failed to provide protection and justice to doctors. The AIIMS doctors condemn this in word and in spirit,”
Doctors from various parts of the country, including Kerala, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Raipur, Chandigarh and Patna, have joined the strike with the IMA asking its State branches to stage protests and wear black badges to condemn the incident. The Delhi Medical Association observed ‘Black Day’ and said that it is ready for strong legislation and strict action against violence at hospitals.
Contingency measures
Meanwhile, hospitals in the Capital put in place measures to ensure that patients do not suffer due to the strike. “The AIIMS administration has already put in place contingency measures to take care of the patients admitted. On Friday, only follow-up patients with prior appointments were registered in OPD. Registration of new patients will be done as per availability of the faculty,” said a senior AIIMS official.
“We have asked heads of all clinical departments to make arrangements for round-the-clock availability of doctors of the speciality concerned. Under no circumstances, any inpatient ward will function without doctors,” he added.
