Junior doctors' strike enters 2nd day in Hyderabad

Junior doctors continued their strike for the second day on Wednesday in Gandhi Hospital and Niloufer Hospital. Other than emergency services, all the services were boycotted by the junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital. On the other hand, all the services including emergency services were boycotted by junior doctors in Niloufer Hospital. Reportedly, around 800 junior doctors participated in the strike following an assault on one of their colleagues.

Recently, there have been many instances where doctors were assaulted by a patient’s relative in case the patient did not recover.

The junior doctors demanded safety as there were many incidents where junior doctors had been assaulted by the patient’s family members. The doctors have been fighting for a secure environment for a long time. No government has taken preventive measures to ensure a secure environment for the doctors in government hospitals. The junior doctors took out a rally near Gandhi Hospital which was opposed by the city police as they did not have permission to take out a rally. Other than the emergency, all the outpatient department services, were boycotted by the junior doctors.

The resentment of the junior doctors followed an assault on a junior post graduate, Dr P. Karthik, who was beaten up by relatives in Gandhi Hospital as a critically ill two-year-old died.

The child was admitted with fever and congestive heart



failure. The doctors had explained the critical condition to the parents and relatives. But at 6.30 pm on Tuesday, when the child’s condition worsened, the attendees called upon the post-graduate doctor to attend to the child. The child was kept on ventilator support but there was no response. The family members then attacked the doctor and also damaged the furniture in the hospital. Though there were security personnel present, none of them stopped the angry family members.

The junior doctors said, “We are not gods. We are also humans like them. We are trying our best to save patients as it is our responsibility. With the recent attacks on many junior doctors, many are working with fear. Subsequently, we cannot deliver 100 per cent. The situation has to change. We are seeing it as a total security failure.”

Gandhi Hospital is the last option for many patients after visiting many hospitals. Many cases which come to the Gandhi Hospital are in very serious condition. The doctors stated that there was no security guard in the evening to protect them and they have been repeatedly asking for protection but it has not been given to them.

Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, P Shravan Kumar said, “Assault on doctors who were doing their duty is very shameful. We have also discussed the issue with police officials. We have requested them to increase the force.”