Doctors Strike: Doctors’ Strike Disrupts Patient Services in Odisha |
Bhubaneswar: Healthcare services were affected on Saturday, mainly in medical colleges, due to the protests by junior doctors, resident doctors and interns as a part of the nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata.
Pradeep Kumar Sahu (32), a resident of Deogarh, travelled around 250 km to reach Bhubaneswar on Friday for treatment of his rectal bleeding.After consulting a doctor, he got his diagnosis reports from a lab and went to consult a specialist at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Saturday. “But I could not get a doctor due to the strike,” he added.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar receives around 4,500 patients on weekdays. With Saturdays being a half-day, usually more than 2,400 patients visit the outpatient department (OPD). But due to the strike, the number fell to 1,260.
The different departments also did not admit more patients on Saturday. The general medicine department accepts at least 400 patients daily, but on Saturday it received around 100. “Many patients returned as they could not get tickets for OPD consultation,” said a doctor.
Biswa Pradhan (60), a native of Sonepur district who suffers from kidney disease, travelled to Burla with his wife on Friday for a check-up at Vimsar, Burla. After undergoing an ultrasound, he waited for the strike to end. “I spent Rs 1,000 to come to Burla. I am waiting for doctors to resume their duty. I can’t afford to spend another Rs 1,000 to return home,” he added. Though the OPD was open, no doctors were available.
Patient care services were hit partially at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, as the OPD was closed from Saturday afternoon.
Ghasiram Majhi (60), a kidney patient from Nabarangpur district, was sleeping on the floor near the OPD as he could not consult a doctor. “Hospital staff told me to come on Tuesday,” he added.
A few private hospitals in the state also took part in the strike and stopped OPD services on Saturday.
However, patient services were not affected in primary and community health centres, sub-divisional, city, district headquarters and other govt hospitals which don’t offer medical education.
(With inputs from Priti Suna in Sambalpur, Hrusikesh Mohanty in Berhampur and Satyanarayan Pattnaik in Koraput)
We also published the following articles recently
Doctors across Noida and Ghaziabad went on strike, following a call from the Indian Medical Association, to protest the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. While emergency services continued, outpatient departments were disrupted, leaving many patients unattended. The strike aimed to highlight the need for better safety and security measures for medical professionals.
Patient care services were disrupted in medical colleges across the state due to a strike by junior doctors, resident doctors, and interns, following a nation-wide IMA protest over the rape and murder of a Kolkata trainee doctor. OPD services were significantly affected, with many patients sent back without consultations or check-ups.
Doctors in Madhya Pradesh had been on strike for three days, affecting medical colleges and private hospitals, causing hardships for patients. The Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered doctors to halt the strike and set an August 20 deadline to address their demands. Despite the court’s direction, doctor associations plan to continue pursuing their grievances.
