CHENNAI: Government doctors, members of the Joint Action Committee of Government Doctors Associations, all over Tamil Nadu, boycotted outpatient services from 8 am to 12 noon on Tuesday. However, outpatient services in all government medical colleges in Chennai, were managed with available resources on Tuesday.
According to the hospital management officials, OP strength of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital was over 8,500 than the usual 9,000 on the day. At Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, it stood at 5,500 than the usual 4,500. At Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, it was over 4,600 than the usual 4,000.
“Despite rains, we received almost usual patient strength. We managed the unit with non-service post-graduate doctors, and also professors, assistant and associate professors who didn’t take part in the boycott. We conducted a meeting on Monday itself and made alternative arrangements,” said Dr R Jayanthi, dean, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
“We diverted service and non-service PG doctors and other professors who didn’t take part to the OP units where there were no doctors. The doctors boycotted only the OP, but they were available in wards,” said Dr Ponnambalam Namasivayam, dean, Government Stanley Hospital.However, since all the professors at Diabetology department of Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital were boycotting the OP, the hospital management diverted the doctors in the General Medicine department to Diabetology OP units, said Dr P Vasanthamani, dean of the hospital.