KAKINADA : Outpatient services at the Government General Hospital (GGH) were hit here on Saturday as doctors and medicos went on a flash strike condemning the ‘highhanded’ behaviour of Pithapuram MLA SVSN Varma towards the GGH staff on Friday night. As a result, hundreds of patients who came to the district headquarters hospital, faced severe inconvenience.
It was alleged that the ruling TDP MLA who came to the hospital along with his followers on Friday night, abused the duty doctors and medical staff by stating that they failed to provide proper treatment to a patient hailing from his Assembly constituency.
On hearing the news of row between the MLA and the duty doctors, Joint Collector II J Radhakrishna Murthy and GGH Superintendent Nageswara Rao visited the hospital and tried to resolve the matter. The casualty medical officer and other doctors alleged that the MLA threatened them. After the legislator left the hospital, the duty doctors lodged a complaint against him.
Demanding an apology from the TDP MLA for his ‘highhanded’ behaviour, the hospital doctors and medicos boycotted their duties on Saturday and staged a dharna at the GGH main gate. Activists of SFI and other student unions also participated in the dharna, extending their support to the stir of doctors and medicos.
The incident happened on the day of launch of Swasthya Vidya Vahini programme, complicating the matters further.
Denying the charge of MLA that they showed negligence in discharging their duties, the GGH doctors and the Junior Doctors Association demanded action against the MLA for his rude behaviour.
“Except emergency services, all medical services came to a halt at the hospital. We are trying to resolve the issue at the earliest,” said GGH Superintendent Nageswara Rao.
As the medical services at the GGH are severely hit, the ministers hailing from the district are expected to intervene in the matter to resolve the row between the MLA and doctors.