4,000 patients sent back as PGI resident docs strike work

Health services at PGIMER were badly hit as resident doctors held a protest and struck work for five hours — from 8am to 1pm. Due to the strike, around 4,000 patients were sent back without treatment.
Resident doctors are angry over the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) administration’s failure to arrange a coffin and ambulance to ferry the body of a junior resident who died in a road accident on Tuesday.
Dr Dhanshree Sharma, a second semester student pursuing mater’s in pediatrics at the advanced paediatric centre, when going to work at a hospital in Naraingarh in Ambala district, 50 km from Chandigarh. She died on the spot.
Registration at the majority of the OPDs was closed at 9am, leading to harassment for patients, most of whom had come from remote areas.
High drama was witnessed at the new OPD where police had to be called to disperse the patients.
A patient Vikas Sharma said, “I had taken leave from work to get my daughter treated. We had five tests scheduled today. However, as soon as I reached the hospital at 9.15am, the registrations were all closed and the patients were screaming at the authorities to allow them get their cards made. Only the fee counters were functioning.”
Another 58-year-old patient Sarojini Bharti from Kharar said, “A senior doctor in gastroenterology department had given me a date of Friday but when I reached at 9 to get my card updated from the registration counter, it was closed by then. The security did not let me meet the doctor without an updated card.”
Services at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), emergency and trauma services functioned normally. Emergency OPD, Trauma OPD, as well as Emergency OT and Trauma OT services also functioned as usual.
A total of 14 operations were performed in the emergency and trauma OTs till 3pm.
The faculty ran the main operation theatre with the help of nursing and other support staff. At the main OT, 13 operations were performed till the afternoon.
Resident doctors association president Dr Seran Kumar Reddy said, “We have submitted certain recommendations such that this kind of an incident is not repeated ever.”
Demands of docs
PGIMER to provide ambulances or transport in case of accidents of doctors, or to lift the bodies from one place to other.
Insurance to be done of resident doctors
Transport facility to be arranged for daily commute to rural areas
Increase in facilities in rural areas for the convenience