OPD remains suspended as doctors’ strike enters Day 4

OPD services remained suspended for the entire day at all public health centres in the district, including the Civil Hospital, Community Health Centres and sub-divisional hospitals as the strike continued on the fourth day on the call of the PCMS Association.

Patients faced inconvenience as health services remained paralysed at all government medical facilities in response to the call.

Patients visiting the Civil Hospital here were greeted by boards at the pharmacy and OPD bearing words “Doctors are on strike” and PCMSA posters “Doctor Unity Zindabad”.

Various patients approaching the Civil Hospital had to return disappointed amid the dharna even as the usually busy hospital wore a deserted look.

Doctors’ key demands include security, restoring promotions of doctors, addressing the staff shortage among others. Doctors of the PCMS Association said they were in continued talks with the government on the issue, however, the lack of government response had forced them to continue the dharna.

Doctors of the PCMS Association sat outside the office of the Medical Superintendent at the hospital.

A doctor said, “The dharna is progressing in a phased manner. For the previous three days, we were holding half-day dharnas. Now it’s a full-day dharna in which the OPD, medical and other non essential services have remained suspended. Emergency services are not affected. For the next three days, this will be the routine. After that, a meeting will be held after which the future strategy will be devised.”

Doctors added, “We are also in talks with the authorities, including the Director, Health Secretary, Health Minister and Finance Minister with whom meetings were also held, but no concrete solution could be worked out. We would have called off the strike if our demand were met. No notification addressing our demands has been issued as yet.”