Patients of the Kottayam Medical College Hospital (MCH) heaved a sigh of relief as they received the news that the postgraduate medical students and house surgeons have decided to call of their strike. The patients had born the brunt of the strike by the Kerala Medical Post Graduates Association (KMPGA) and the All-Kerala House Surgeons' Association.
The number of patients at the outpatient section saw a considerable decline on Friday. Many patients had opted for other hospitals in the area for treatment. The wards of the MCH also wore a rather deserted look, compared to the initial days of the strike.
Since the strike was launched, the senior doctors had been conducting only a single customary round through the wards. This was against the usual procedure of at least three visits on an average to the patients' beds.
The considerable drop in staff strength has put the patients seeking medical attention at the outpatient (OP) section to great difficulty. Ponnamma, hailing from Koodalloor near Ettumanoor, had approached the medical OP section after suffering bouts of chest pain. However, despite registering her details and collecting the mandatory pass for consultation, she had to wait for at least 4 hours for consultation, as the section was manned by a single doctor. Many similar cases had occurred during the day. Some instances of the patients turning unruly were also witnessed at the hospital complex.
According to Dr. Jabbar, Deputy Superintendent, MCH, functioning of the hospital was not affected to a large extent by the strike. Cases requiring emergency surgeries were attended to and were completed. However, those which were not urgent have been postponed, mainly due to the shortage of staff. Emergency sections like the casualty, labour room and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were given additional importance and their normal functioning was ensured.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued here, the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (K.G.M.C.T.A.) State general secretary Dr. Tigy Thomas Jacob has opined that the introduction of the residency programme and referral system was carried out without sufficient foresight. These had weakened the functioning of the medical colleges in the State. Alternative measures adopted by the State government too had backfired to a large extent, he said.
