HYDERABAD: The protests by the junior doctors in Hyderabad over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old second-year PG resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata continued for the sixth consecutive day on Monday.
Junior doctors, led by the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) from both Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital gathered at the Osmania Medical College at Koti to further intensify their protests as they continued to boycott the OP and elective OT services in the state-run hospitals.
Demanding a safe workplace environment and security for all medical professionals to prevent violence against them, T-JUDA members said they wouldn’t budge unless their demands were met and would continue their protests indefinitely.
Dr K Hemanth said that the government must change its callous attitude towards the doctors and the working conditions in the government hospitals. “There is no rocket science in providing safety at government hospitals which are the breeding grounds of criminal activities as they are open to all with no proper screening. Anyone can walk in government hospitals as they are meant to serve the public, thus making these places more vulnerable to violence against doctors. What we are demanding is not something extraordinary, but rather it is our basic right to have safe workplaces”, he added.
Moreover, the medical fraternity also expressed disappointment over the government’s insensitive approach towards them. They said the support for their movement from all fractions of society is welcomed and the cause will always remain apolitical.
Vice President T-JUDA Dr Venkatesh Kumar Durgam told TNIE, “We will not get influenced by any political leaders as we are very clear with what we want. We appreciate the support from various political leaders, but at the end of the day, we want our demands to be met and not only assurances. Our motivation is purely focused on strengthening the medical fraternity and seeking justice for our rights.”
Doctors also expressed their exasperation for taking to the streets instead of serving the public. Another doctor said, “We are not happy either that the OP services have been cancelled. We also want to return to our hospitals and treat our patients.” Later, they submitted a letter of demands to the Union Minister Bandi Sanjay and Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha.
HOSPITALS STRUGGLE TO MANAGE OP SERVICES
HYDERABAD: With the T-JUDA continuing the strike for the sixth day, major state-run hospitals in the city are finding it difficult to manage services. Senior doctors and faculty are filling in for junior doctors who have been staging protests on a daily basis in their respective hospitals. For the first time since the protests began on Wednesday, junior doctors from Gandhi and Osmania hospitals staged a joint protest in the Osmania Medical College on Monday.
JUDA members said that although they are boycotting services, they have been extending support as and when needed in hospitals. Osmania General Hospital superintendent Dr Rakesh Sahay told the TNIE: “So far we have managed to take care of OP patients as we have the senior doctors and faculty pitching in. As such, no major inconvenience has been caused to patients as such.” Gandhi Hospital has also stepped up to provide OP services to patients in the light of the boycott.
Hospital superintendent Dr C Rajakumari said: “OP is being managed well. We urge the public not to panic. Services are in place despite the protests as we have our senior doctors managing OP services. There is no major disruption in services so far.” Meanwhile, due to the ongoing protests, NIMS has shortened its OP timings from 8 am to 11 am.