OPD services hit by 24-hour doctor strike
The IMA's 24-hour strike over a trainee doctor's rape-murder disrupted OPD services in Mumbai hospitals, with medical officers stepping in to manage patients.
Mumbai: The Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) nationwide withdrawal of non-medical services for 24 hours from 6 am on Saturday to protest the rape-murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, resulted in Outpatient Department (OPD) services being hit in civic, state, and private hospitals and closure of large diagnostic centres in the city.
Hospitals across the city saw minimal crowds in the corridors, with patients and family members unable to secure an appointment or get the doctor’s stamp to buy medicines from BMC hospitals.
At the city’s largest civic-run KEM hospital, Afsana Malik could not find anyone at the counter to guide her child’s treatment. “I came here at 10am but did not know where to get a token or where to ask about getting an appointment. I have been trying to enquire, but no one responded. I will have to come back on Monday for my child’s checkup,” said Malik
While emergency cases and surgeries were handled at all the hospitals, medical officers employed with civic-run Aapla Dawakhana were asked to assist patients amidst the strike to prevent any inconvenience, as the indefinite strike by junior resident doctors of four BMC hospitals entered its fifth day.
Over the last five days, senior resident doctors, bonded-service doctors, interns and BMC medical teachers have also joined the strike. With medical teachers at government hospitals not joining the suspension, Dr Sanjay, assistant professor at JJ hospital, posted on X: “This is the first time that not a single medicine resident attended OPD. All the assistant professors attended to all the OPD patients. After a long gap of 2 years, I placed an Intra Catheter.”
With 2,000 private doctors across the city also suspending non-essential medical services for a day, BMC was forced to move their medical officers to its hospitals. According to the BMC report, 43 medical officers reported at KEM Hospital, 41 at Sion Hospital, 45 at Cooper Hospital, and 45 at Nair Hospital.
“It was a good decision to pull in medical officers from Aapla Dawakhana. With interns suspending their services, it has become quite difficult. But we managed OPD because of the medical officers and will continue the same on Monday,” said Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner.
On the other hand, private hospitals had intimated their patients about the suspension of their services. “To minimise their inconvenience, we informed them about the closure and advised them to visit the hospital starting Monday. Patients with severe conditions requiring immediate attention were directed to our casualty department, where they were promptly treated. We also ensured that our emergency department and ICUs were staffed, so patient care was not compromised,” said Dr. Sameer Kulkarni, CEO, of Hiranandani Hospital. On Saturdays, the hospital typically sees 900 to 1,000 OPD patients.
Marine Lines-based Bombay Hospital also informed patients beforehand that services would not be available on August 17. “We have attended the emergency cases. All we request is justice and protection for female doctors and all women,” said Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician and intensivist at the hospital and member of the Association of Hospitals, a trust of private hospitals.
A press release by Central MARD on late Saturday stated that they are going to continue their protest and halt elective services including OPD, lab duties, ward duties and academic duties until justice is achieved and a concrete decision is given on the Central Healthcare Protection Act. Emergency services will be operational as usual.