NEW DELHI: The capital city reeled under a healthcare crisis as over 50,000 OPD Consultations and over a thousand surgeries halted in wake of indefinite strike launched by the resident doctors' on Monday.
The widespread protest, triggered by the horrific rape and murder of a female resident doctor in Kolkata, left patients stranded.
The elective services at large city hospitals including AIIMS, Maulana Azad Medical College, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, GTB, IHBAS, GB Pant, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College, and National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Hospital, remained heavily impacted.
Together, these hospitals cater to more than 50,000 patients daily.
AIIMS alone reported a whopping 80 per cent drop in surgeries and a 35 per cent decline in hospital admissions. “98 major and 96 minor surgeries were taken up in the day which is only 20 per cent of the daily cases handled,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the radiological investigations including X-ray, CT and MRI were reduced by 40 per cent, as per the status report of the institute.
Resident doctors across government hospitals have declared a complete boycott of routine services, including patient consultations, lab tests, and elective surgeries. However, emergency services continued to function normally at the hospitals as the striking doctors remained on duty in these critical areas. The associations of hospitals who called for the strike have ensured that while outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres (OTs), and ward duties are shuttered, emergency services will continue unaffected.
However, the healthcare crisis is expected to deepen further as the meeting between doctors and the Union health Ministry remained inconclusive. The associations said the strike would continue and more hospitals would also join the movement.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) that is spearheading the nationwide strike urged the public to keep patience and support the movement.
“We deeply understand the pain and frustration that our patients are going through, but our fight is for something much bigger—something that ultimately benefits the patients themselves. A doctor can only provide the best care if they feel safe and protected. I urge the public to bear with us, to stand with us in this battle against such a horrifying injustice. This protest isn’t just for us; it’s for the greater good of everyone,” Dr Aviral Mathur, President of FORDA, said.
Daily OPD Patient Count:
Safdarjung: 15,000
AIIMS: 12,000
Ram Manohar Lohia: 8,000
Lady Hardinge: 5,000
GTB: 4,000
Lok Nayak: 4,000
GB Pant: 2,000
Ambedkar: 2,000
Deen Dayal Upadhyay: 2,000
IHBAS: 1,000
