PRAYAGRAJ: Health services were badly affected at the busy SRN Hospital of MLN medical College here on Saturday as junior resident doctors observed strike. The junior doctors boycotted work as part of a nationwide strike called to show displeasure due to no first-year counselling of post graduate courses for a year.
Due to the strike, patients, especially those coming from far-flung areas, faced hardships for the first two hours of OPD. As the junior doctors blocked the passage of the hall where the registration slips for OPD are issued, many patients had to wait for getting the slips and approaching senior doctors.
The junior doctors maintained that due to no counselling for a year, the load of first year PG students was falling on second- and third-year students. Hence the workload was increasing and although the association had raised the concern, the government was not listening.
When the senior doctor sat in the OPD, they managed to attend only a few patients who came with old prescriptions in the first two hours even as there was a huge crowd at the prescription counter.
The protesting resident doctors also took out a candle-light procession in the evening. The junior doctors gathered at SRN hospital and raised their demand vigorously. The doctors said that this was a symbolic demonstration and if the demands were not accepted, the agitation would be intensified and even emergency services would be stopped at SRN.
{{/usCountry}}The protesting resident doctors also took out a candle-light procession in the evening. The junior doctors gathered at SRN hospital and raised their demand vigorously. The doctors said that this was a symbolic demonstration and if the demands were not accepted, the agitation would be intensified and even emergency services would be stopped at SRN.
{{/usCountry}}“Our demands are justified as we are here to serve the patients and for this we constantly work peacefully under pressure. When there was a nationwide strike, we joined our association. If the demand is not accepted, then the scope of the movement will be increased,” said Dr Sarvesh Pathak, office-bearer of the Prayagraj unit of the association.
However, at around 11am, the principal of MLN Medical College, Dr SP Singh, met the agitating junior resident doctors and persuaded them to call off the protest.
“It is true that the services were affected for some time, but later senior doctors attended the OPD and all were treated. OT also functioned normally”, said Dr Singh.