TV
The doctors across the country are now leading a protest following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the R.G. Kar Hospital in Kolkata. Though essential services, such as emergency care and critical treatments will be available at all hospitals, routine outpatient services (OPDs) and elective surgeries will remain suspended on the weekend.
The doctors across the country, including in Odisha are staging demonstrations as per the nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services for 24 hours as announced by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
In SCB, patients are having a harrowing time. The worst affected is the radiology department as the number of ultrasounds has come down to 40 from 100. As a result, the patients are facing problems and are forced to return.
Santosh Sahu, an attendant said, “Every day thousands of patients from Odisha and outside depend on SCB. Doctors should understand that they are here to serve people. There is no harm in doing agitation but how far it is justified that everybody should be on strike?”.
Another patient from Angul said, “It is now almost four days since I had come to SCB to treat my stomach issue. The doctors had advised me to go for an ultrasound, but so far it has not been done. The doctors are not seeing as they are on strike. A lot of patients are suffering. We do not have money to seek treatment in a private hospital.”
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who arrived in Odisha to attend the orientation programme of MLAs in the Odisha Assembly, said, “The Kolkata incident and there is a concern over safety. It is not a matter of medical staff as it is matter of security and an issue in society. Everybody is concerned about the West Bengal incident. The health department has taken whatever steps that were required.”
