Private clinics downed their shutters, while private hospitals closed their out-patient departments in Udupi district on Monday, to protest against the recent attack on a doctor in Mangaluru.
However, emergency services in all private hospitals were kept open.
Hence, emergency services during the day remained unaffected.
But patients who went to private clinics had to return empty handed.
A large number of doctors from Udupi district expressed solidarity with their counterparts in Mangaluru, who were also taking part in a protest there.
“The call for protest was given by Indian Medical Association (IMA), private colleges and various doctors associations,” said Vasudeva, executive committee member of IMA, Udupi.
Meanwhile, government hospitals functioned as usual.
Both their out-patient departments and emergency services were open.
200 more patients
“We usually get more out-patients at the District Government Hospital on Mondays. Today, there were about 200 more patients in the out-patient department,” said Madhusudhan Nayak, District Surgeon.
