HYDERABAD: In a late night update, Osmania General Hospital's junior doctors decided to boycott OPD, Elective Surgeries and Ward duties indefinitely until their demands are met from Wednesday. Only emergency services will now be held.
The strike call was given by the OGH Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) for lack of basic equipments like monitors, oxygen lines in post operative wards to see vitals, for adequate number of surgery tables, for ward beds etc.
Earlier on Tuesday, discussions ensued between JUDA and the Hospital Superintendent over the primary issue of lack of surgery tables and wards for hundreds of non-COVID patients coming to the hospital. However, only the General Surgery department decided to go on indefinite strike until demands are met.
Later at around 1 am, the JUDA declared that all PG doctors would boycott non-emergency services until their demands for basic healthcare are met.
Their letter to the Superintendent read, "Inspite of repeated representations regarding basic healthcare facilities in Osmania to respected Superintendent sir and respected DME, our issues regarding operation theatres, wards, fully equipped ASCs and Post-operative wards are still left unresolved. We are forced to go on strike, boycotting OPDs, elective surgeries and ward duties from 9th September 2020 until our demands are met."
With this strike, there will be a complete crippling of basic non-COVID related medical services in Telangana as OGH is the only main tertiary care hospital apart from Gandhi which is now looking into COVID-19 crisis exclusively.
Only last week it was revealed that the poor management of wards and Operation Theatres led to 20 COVID cross infections to occur in the hospital forcing patients with pre-existing ailments to be rushed to Gandhi Hospital for their COVID care.
The junior doctors note that they had raised these issues ever since they moved into the new Quli Qutub Shah building. It must be recalled that that they moved into the new, smaller building on July 17th after heavy rains inundated the old structure, which was already in a neglected condition.
Caught now in a tricky situation of an old unrepaired building and new unequipped building the students have decided to gather and protest at 9 am at the superintendent office. Prior to this a strike had taken place in OGH for setting up of COVID wards, which again were insufficiently equipped with both equipments and manpower.