PATNA: Eight patients admitted at Bihar’s largest government-run hospital died allegedly due to want of medical attention on Wednesday as junior doctors stayed off work in protest against a lathi-charge on them two days ago.
Healthcare services were crippled at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Bihar’s largest multi-specialty hospital run by the State government, and seven other medical college and hospitals in the State due to the daylong strike by the doctors. Emergency services and out-patient facilities were badly hit.
Sources said hundreds of patients had to leave the hospital and seek admission at private nursing homes.
“We had urged the State government to provide us the services of 50 additional doctors, but we got the services of only 15 so far. They are engaged in emergency services,” said PMCH principal Dr S N Sinha.
He, however, said he was not aware of the death of patients due to the strike.
Patient care was similarly hit at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Services in Patna, Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in Muzaffarpur, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur, AN Medical College and Hospital in Gaya, Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital in Darbhanga and the two medical college and hospitals in Bettiah and Pawapuri.
“No doctor has come to treat patients in several wards throughout the day. The situation is bad,” said Shyam Kumar, a relative of a patient admitted at DMCH.
Dr Santosh Kumar Mishra,
principal of DMCH, said a requisition has been sent to the government for the services of 40 doctors from outside.