Doctors go on strike in Jaipur; Health services crippled
Hospitals attached to medical colleges, including SMS Hospital, experienced a major setback due to the work boycott by resident doctors.
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Patients queues outside OPD at SMS Hospital due to strike of doctors at private hospitals.
JAIPUR: Six thousand doctors in Rajasthan’s resident and private hospitals went on strike to protest against the Right to Health Bill, causing disruption in health services across the state. The strike led to the postponement of operations and a rush of patients in the OPD, with waiting times of up to three hours. Patients are expressing their concerns as they suffer in pain on stretchers.
On Wednesday, hospitals attached to medical colleges, including SMS Hospital, experienced a major setback due to the work boycott by resident doctors. However, the senior faculty members of the Department of Medicine at SMS Medical College, including Dr. Raman Sharma, have taken over the OPD to manage the surge of patients.
Dr. Sharma mentioned that patients are being tested and given medicines amidst the high crowd, and complete treatment is being provided on the spot in cases of emergency. Nursing staff and interns have also been engaged to handle emergency cases. Although the absence of resident doctors has increased the workload, the team is still managing well.
In Udaipur’s MB Hospital, around 400 resident doctors have gone on strike, causing the postponement of over 80 critical operations, including Cesarean, Major Surgery, Orthopaedic, General Surgery, Urology, Nephrology, and Minor OT. The strike has left patients in distress and the hospital administration scrambling to find alternatives.
As a result of the strike, around 50 doctors who teach at RNT Medical College have been redeployed to handle outdoor and other duties, to compensate for the shortage of resident doctors. The situation has led to an increased workload for the remaining doctors and hospital staff, who are struggling to provide the necessary medical attention to patients in need.
The strike by resident doctors has had a significant impact on the functioning of the hospital, and the administration is currently in talks with the striking doctors to resolve the situation and provide much-needed relief to patients.
