Doctors’ protest: No OPD service in DK, Udupi

With private hospitals and clinics closing down OPD (outpatient department), the government hospitals in the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, particularly District Wenlock Hospital, were crowded with patients.

All the private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics in DK and Udupi districts had suspended their OPD services in response to a country-wide bandh call given by Indian Medical Association (IMA) and had expressed solidarity with the doctors protesting in West Bengal.

The IMA had demanded a comprehensive central law in order to deal with violence against doctors, healthcare staff and hospitals.

It had also sought exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of violence to be included as a vital component of Central law.

Wenlock Hospital Superintendent Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R told DH that a high number of patients visit the hospital during Mondays. Due to the protest by doctors in private hospitals, the number of patients visiting the Wenlock Hospital has doubled.

“Over 1,000 patients had availed OPD services in the hospital,” she said.

The spokesperson for a private hospital in Deralakatte said, “All buses arriving at Deralakatte from far flung areas had been informed in advance about the protest by doctors. The casualty was kept open and some patients who needed immediate treatment had been admitted.”

A notice was pasted on the doors of the private hospitals informing the nationwide strike by the doctors. Meanwhile, Aysuh Federation of India, Dakshina Kannada and Mangaluru branch condemned the assault on doctors on duty in West Bengal and treated the patients by wearing black badge.

Candlelight procession

A candlelight procession was taken out by doctors and other healthcare staff from the Fountain Area in Manipal on Monday evening. A doctor at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal said, “No serious problems were faced by the patients as adequate arrangements had been made for all emergency cases. The Trauma and Emergency services were kept open.”

Ajjarakadu Government District Hospital, Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial, Haji Abdullah Mother and Child Hospitals functioned normally.

“We are ready to attend to the extra workload and patients. As Government Medical Officers Union had not responded to the strike call, all government hospital doctors were working as usual,” a resident medical officer informed DH.

Dr Ganesh Kamath Senior Medical Officer at CSI Lombard Memorial Hospital in Udupi said, “Only emergency cases were being attended to in the hospital. The OPD will remain closed until June 18 (6 am). We hope that the public will also understand our sincerity in work and will support us.”