VIJAYAWADA: Thousands of patients were left in the lurch as medical services came to a grinding halt at the outpatient departments in major hospitals of the city due to the doctors’ strike on Monday.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) Action Committee observed ‘black day’, halting outpatient services in all the private hospitals across the State to protest against the attacks on doctors in Kolkata. Major hospitals such as Andhra Hospitals and Ramesh Hospitals and other private hospitals in Vijayawada shut their OPD services. Patients coming for periodical check-up were sent back.
Due to the closure of services at the private hospitals, rush increased at the government hospitals, leading to rise in waiting time for the patients. Serpentine queues were seen at Government General Hospital in Vijayawada. However, medicos and medical staff at the government hospitals and medical colleges had also halted their services for one hour from 9 am to 10 am to express solidarity with the doctors in Kolkata.
Speaking to TNIE, IMA State chapter president Dr D Shrehari Rao said, “Responding to the call given by national IMA, we staged the protests in solidarity with the doctors in NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, who were attacked by the patients’ relatives. We demand that the West Bengal government solves the issue through talks and the Centre does justice to the doctor fraternity by bringing a control body and an Act to curb attacks on doctors. Over 20 per cent of the total attacks on doctors take place on those placed in emergency services. If such attacks continue, they might fear from attending emergency services.”
Doctors wear black badges
Guntur: Condemning the attack on doctors in Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors Association (APGDA) staged a protest at Guntur Government Hospital here on Monday. The protest was in line with IMA’s call for countrywide strike of doctors to protest the attack. The doctors staged the protest by wearing black badges at GGH. APGDA State convener Dr Jayadheer was accompanied with Dr D Santaiah and Dr DSS Srinivas Prasad.