HYDERABAD: Patients are the worst affected followed by overworked senior doctors and nursing staff, as all medical services, including emergency and casualty treatment, came to an abrupt halt after junior doctors across government hospitals called for an indefinite strike against the NMC Bill. Patients are being turned away, commotion is breaking out in casualty and out-patient wards, and senior doctors are working overtime to cater to patients in hospitals that were already understaffed before the strike.
In Gandhi Hospital, a hapless 45-year-old B Das, sits in a wheelchair with a family member by his side, clueless about who to turn to with his queries. The native of Rangareddy district, Das came to the emergency ward on Friday after a vehicle ran over his right foot. The doctors attended to him and plastered his foot through which blood was now seeping out. “We stayed back at the hospital hoping for a more intensive treatment. However, I was told to come back on Sunday as there aren’t enough doctors. I cannot travel in this situation, so I plan to spend the night here again.”
While the attending doctors sympathise with patients like him, they too cannot do much to help. A senior nurse in Gandhi Hospital said, “There are supposed to be at least five junior doctors and one CMO, along with the nursing staff. Currently, we have just the CMO and nursing staff.” She added, “We have been working nonstop for the past two days and have ater to more than 100 casualties in 24 hours. Only half the day has gone by, and we have already registered 30 medico-legal cases.”