Services hit across Delhi-NCR as private doctors join protest

Public hospitals together treat around 50,000 people in the out-patient clinics every day, with nearly 40% patients from outside the state. Hundreds of scheduled surgeries were also postponed.

Routine services like out-patient clinics and diagnostics were severely affected in almost all government hospitals across Delhi, as at least 15,000 resident doctors went on a strike demanding a central law to check violence against medicos and other health care professionals.

On Monday, the medicine ward at Safdarjung hospital was almost deserted. It is usually overcrowded and patients have to lie on gurneys and on the floor in the corridors. (REUTERS File Photo)

Public hospitals together treat around 50,000 people in the out-patient clinics every day, with nearly 40% patients from outside the state. Hundreds of scheduled surgeries were also postponed.

“With all of the resident doctors on strike, we were unable to run the out-patient clinics at all. The senior faculty members ran the emergency department, the wards, and the intensive care units. All routine surgeries had to be cancelled too,” said Dr Kishore Singh, medical director of Lok Nayak hospital. The hospital sees nearly 80 routine surgeries daily.

Vinod Kumar Sharma, whose son needs to undergo an intestinal surgery at the hospital, has been waiting to get his tests done since Friday. “The surgery will be planned once all the tests are done. But for the tests, we need the doctors to sign it off and give a date. That hasn’t happened yet. I understand the doctors’ concern, but it is not justified that patients suffer like this,” he said.

Nazin, whose mother was recently diagnosed with rectal cyst, went to the hospital for a surgery. “There is some bleeding from the rectum and a doctor at a private hospital suggested that she get a surgery as soon as possible. So, I took her to GB Pant. Doctors gave her some medicines but did not start the process of admitting her for the surgery. They asked us to come back on Tuesday,” he said.

On Monday, the medicine ward at Safdarjung hospital was almost deserted. It is usually overcrowded and patients have to lie on gurneys and on the floor in the corridors.