NEW DELHI: Gulam Nabi, a 65-year-old man from Bijnor, was lying in an Alto in his son's lap while his daughter-in-law was running from pillar to post to find a doctor to treat him at Lok Nayak Hospital. According to his CT scan report, Nabi had suffered a brain haemorrhage and was unconscious.
From security guards to nursing staff, Nabi's daughter-in-law requested everyone to get him checked by a doctor, but was turned away. Similar tragic scenes were witnessed across all government hospitals in the city yet again on Tuesday while resident doctors stayed away from work and only a bunch of consultant doctors saw patients.
The doctors had escalated their protest against delay in NEET-PG counselling on Tuesday after Delhi Police manhandled them and detained around 200. While around 3,000 resident doctors from across the city protested in Safdarjung Hospital's emergency ward, the patients could not find a single doctor who could give them some hope.
Take 65-year-old Susheela Devi. She had been coming to the hospital for 14 days, but could meet a doctor only once, who asked her to get some tests done. The tests showed some issues with her kidney. On Tuesday, she could not stand on her feet, but reached Safdarjung somehow, only to find the doctors were on strike.
Eight-year-old Vishnu, who had come with his parents to get his broken leg checked, had to go back though he needed to get an X-Ray done immediately. His father, a cab driver, said he will now go to a private hospital.
Meanwhile, elective surgeries at all government hospitals were postponed for 15-20 days. Komal Devi, who was suffering severe side-effects since undergoing neurosurgery at Safdarjung, was told by her doctor to come back after 15 days.
At Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, the young patients were sent back along with their parents. Emergency and OPD wards remained vacant. Shalu (14), who came from Sant Kabir Nagar to get her leg treated and has been staying with her father at a rented accommodation, could not see the doctor. The swelling in her thigh is getting worse every day.
"Every time we come here, we find the doctors are on strike. I have a small shop in Sant Kabir Nagar and am paying Rs 500 daily as rent here. It’s not fair. If I earned enough, I wouldn't have brought my child here. This is punishment for being poor," said Shalu's desolate father.
Shalu (14), who came from Sant Kabir Nagar to get her leg treated, could not see the doctor. The swelling in her thigh is getting worse. This is punishment for being poor, her father said.