Patients in limbo as Junior doctors join stir

Bharat59

Editor

posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

81
views

HYDERABAD: The Sakala Janula Samme took a new turn on Thursday with junior doctors at the Gandhi Hospital too joining the stir. On..

HYDERABAD: The Sakala Janula Samme took a new turn on Thursday with junior doctors at the Gandhi Hospital too joining the stir. On day one of their strike, about 1,000 patients that's the average visitors to the hospital had to turn back as the outpatient block was closed.
The doctors skipped work to express their solidarity with four of their colleagues who have been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past four days. Among their major demands is the resignation of sitting MPs, MLAs and MLCs of the Telangana region.As they sat by, Gunapala Sunitha, a resident of Rasulpura brought her tenyearold son to the hospital. The boy had stones in his kidneys. "Hospitals should not be closed. We do not close medical shops even on days of bandh. Hospitals can also be an exception. I am a supporter for a separate Telangana movement but it is not fair to stop medical services," she said.

Another patient V Phani Kumar from Uppal, who came with his brotherinlaw who had met a minor accident, said, "It is inconvenient for everybody. Doctors should not stop their work as it is a matter of life and death for patients." He also said what most other patients felt: "Those who are going on strike should at least publicise their bandh calls. Else if we are in an emergency, where will we go?"

He requested the four junior doctors to call off their strike but one of them, Venkat Naik said, "We will not stop until all the Telangana representatives resign and a decision is made on the T issue."