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Patients bear the brunt as doctors boycott OPD, elective surgeries

By, Prayagraj/gorakhpur
Updated on: Aug 17, 2024 09:53 PM IST

Though senior doctors did attend to patients already admitted, those seeking admission for surgeries were not able to get in.

A call for 24-hour shutdown of non-emergency services severely crippled healthcare services in the southern and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh as agitating doctors boycotted outpatient department (OPD) services and elective surgeries.

Junior doctors staging a protest at SRN Hospital in Prayagraj on Saturday (HT)

The strike, which began Saturday 6 am, was called by Indian Medical Association (IMA) as part of the ongoing protests against the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor in Kolkata.

OPD at SRN disrupted for 6th day

OPD services at Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital, an associate institution of MLN Medical College and the biggest government hospital in the region, remained disrupted for sixth day in a row with its resident doctors protesting. Though senior doctors did attend to patients already admitted, those seeking admission for surgeries were not able to get in.

The strike gained momentum with Allahabad Medical Association (AMA) backing the call given by IMA on Friday. Around 100 hospitals and nursing homes in the city are associated with AMA and none offered OPD services. Also, 400 private dental clinics associated with Indian Dental Association wore a deserted look. Electro Homeopathic Association also supported the protesting resident doctors. A candlelight rally was taken out from SRN Hospital to Subhash Crossing in protest against the incident on behalf of AMA on Saturday evening.

The principal of Maharishi Vashishth Narayan Medical College in Basti, Dr Manoj Kumar, admitted that OPD services were largely hit as many relied on community and primary health centres. He said in-patient services were not affected as nurses were convinced to continue their duties.

In Gorakhpur, over 600 private hospitals, clinics and pathology labs were shut. There, IMA office-bearers took out a candle march as part of their protest. IMA’s Gorakhpur branch secretary Dr Amit Kumar Mishra demanded that hospitals should be declared protected zones. At AIIMS-Gorakhpur, many who came for OPD services were attended to in the emergency ward.

 
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