Doctors on strike in Bihar over Centre’s Ayurveda surgery move, services hit

Reports from the districts said though the patients arrived at the hospitals, but the doctors did not attend to them.

The outpatient department (OPD) services in both government and private hospitals in Bihar on Friday were badly hit following a strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest against the decision of the Centre to allow Ayurvedic medical practitioners to perform surgery.

State IMA secretary Dr Sunil Kumar claimed the health services, including planned surgeries, were badly affected following the strike called by the IMA.(PTI)

Reports from the districts said though the patients arrived at the hospitals, but the doctors did not attend to them.

At Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) the registration of patients began in the morning, however, the striking doctors forced closure of the registration counter and patients were left high and dry. At IGIMS also the OPD service was closed after 12 noon.

State IMA secretary Dr Sunil Kumar claimed the health services, including planned surgeries, were badly affected following the strike called by the IMA.

“The next course of action will be decided after a meeting of national level office-bearers in New Delhi on Friday. Our action will depend on the assurance given by the government. The government by taking a unilateral decision to allow Ayurvedic doctors to perform surgery is playing with the health of common people, as they were not properly trained for the job,” he said.

Dr Kumar said in the state capital no OPD service besides planned surgeries were performed in the hospitals, including NMCH, PMCH, IGIMS and AIIMS-Patna.

“However, the emergency and Covid-19 services remained unaffected in the state,” he said.

He requested the doctors to not cooperate in the bridge course being run by the government to train doctors of other streams.

Bhojpur district IMA secretary Dr Madhukar Prakash said, “The patients who were in serious condition were attended by the doctors both in government and private hospitals. However, the OPD service at Ara sadar hospital was totally closed.”

At Bettiah, headquarters of West Champaran district, the health services were paralysed as the doctors were not present in the OPD of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). However, emergency services remained unaffected. The health services in primary health centres and other health institutions were also badly hit.

Dr Gulzar Ahmed, child specialist, called the Centre’s step as “retrograde”. “We respect the individuality of Ayurveda and Unani medicine. The government’s move to integrate all systems of medicines will only lead to mixopathy,” he said.

Another doctor of Bettiah Dr Amitabh Choudhary, said integration of all systems of medicine was “unpractical, unviable and unfeasible”.

At Darbhanga, IMA office-bearers claimed that all private and government health facilities, excluding Covid-19 treatment and emergency services, were shut from dawn to dusk in protest against the Centre’s move.

The OPD service at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital was completely paralysed even as patients from far-flung areas found themselves at the receiving end.