HYDERABAD: Medical services at Osmania General Hospital were affected on Wednesday following boycott of duties by junior doctors. The outpatient facilities, elective duties and normal work in even inpatient wards were affected, as doctors of the hospital boycotted duties to protest against non-payment of stipend to post-graduate students for the past few months.
The hospital that caters to over 1,500 patients everyday witnessed utter chaos in the morning. Patients became restless as the queues and the wait at the registration desks grew longer. “The strike is definitely affecting the patients, especially the ones who are coming from rural areas. However, the plight of the junior doctors is also understandable as payment od stipend on time is a basic right,” said Ms Afifa, a patient from Hyderabad.
However, hospital superintendent Dr B Nagendar said that there would be no compromise on medical services to patients. “The junior doctors have not boycotted emergency and OT services. Only outpatient services have been stopped and we have enough senior doctors to cater to the patients. However, the strain on senior doctors will definitely increase,” he said.
Another concern that was raised by the junior doctors was the alleged support given to quacks by government officials. Members of the JUDA demanded an explanation as to why Health Minister Etela Rajender attended a meeting organised by RMPs and PMPs. Further, effigies representing quacks were also burnt as a part of the protest.
Third-year urology PG student Dr. Vinayak said that encouragement of quacks have led to decline in public healthcare. “Many illiterate patients, especially from rural areas initially go to quacks. When the situation worsens, they bring the patients to us,” he said.
Junior doctors from Gandhi Hospital also staged protests on the hospital premises as a sign of solidarity with the Osmania doctors.
Superintendent Nagendar later confirmed that after talks with Osmania Medical College Principal Dr Sashikala Reddy and Director of Medical Education Dr Ramesh Reddy, the stipends of most students have been credited. However, the junior doctors refused to call of their strike as assurance on arrears and regularisation of stipends was not given.