As resident doctors of government hospitals in Delhi went on strike, patients were seen facing a harrowing experience. The resident doctors are demanding that National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) counselling be conducted at the earliest.
Resident doctors of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) have called for a strike and have boycotted the emergency and OPD services as a result of which patients both from Delhi and neighbouring states in need of urgent medical care are facing difficulties. Mohammed Muzammil, a patient at RML hospital said, “The doctors are addressing patients with minor issues like fever, whereas tests like CT scans are not being done. My test was scheduled for today after two months of waiting. Now they are asking me to take the appointment again.”
Mohammed Shaikhullah, who has come to Delhi from Bihar for his father’s treatment, said that the strike has hit hospital services badly. I am very worried about my father as he needs to be seen by a doctor soon. The hospital people say that only after the strike is over we will get a date for his surgery.” Kajal Kumari, who has also come from Bihar said, “We has booked an appointment and came a week back. Here we came and saw the doctors on strike. They have asked us to come after January 6 and by then if the strike is called off we will get the date for treatment. I came for an MRI test.”
Raveena, from Bihar, came for her daughter-in-law’s treatment at RML Hospital. She said that her daughter-in-law is on dialysis and has been undergoing treatment for the past six months. The doctors were supposed to take her dialysis pipe out today. Due to the ongoing strike, Raveena said that the doctors refused her treatment. “We have a train reservation to Bihar. Our train ticket will get wasted as the doctors are not giving us a date and treating my daughter-in-law.” Meanwhile at G B Pant hospital, Sarfaraz, a local said that there is no doctor at the OPD. ” I came to take medicines and I have only received half of it”, said Sarfaraz.
