200 surgeries cancelled at 4 civic hospitals as doctors strike

MUMBAI: Thousands of patients were severely inconvenienced and over 200 surgeries were cancelled across the city’s four major hospitals as over 2,000 resident doctors did not report to work on Thursday. The state desperately engaged with the medicos trying to break the deadlock.
Most hospitals had to cancel planned surgeries as senior doctors manned outpatient departments, wards and ICUs.BMC officials said services were smooth with 5.000 patients being treated at KEM, Sion and BYL Nair hospital’s OPDs. But the ground situation was different.
Sion Hospital, which normally treats 4,000 patients in their OPD, had to shut OPD services by 11am after attending to 1,200. Services at KEM and Nair also could not run to their capacities. Parel’s KEM Hospital, for instance, performed less than 70 surgeries, as opposed to their daily count of nearly 120. State-run JJ Hospital claimed it conducted 139 surgeries, including 20 minor ones, besides attending to 2,487 patients on OPD basis.
Twenty-year-old Anila (name changed), suffering from severe gastrointestinal pain, waited from 7am till 4pm for admission. She could not get an abdominal CT scan done. Some patients waited for an MRI scan since 8am but had to return without one.
Among the patients left to wait in the crowded emergency ward at KEM was Saira Banu, who had checked in at noon, from Bhiwandi, to seek treatment for her son’s seizures. “The strike is causing quite a delay,” said the mother, as she was waited way past 3pm.
Ishwar Bhansode (60) was injured in a hit-and-run accident as he left home on his two-wheeler. He was rushed to Sion Hospital and diagnosed with a fractured knee. His family was told he requires a surgery, which could not be performed till the doctors resumed work. The family ran helter-skelter not knowing whether to lodge a police complaint or find another hospital.
Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors stood their ground, saying that the strike will continue till their demands for better stipend, paid leave for TB treatment, maternity leave and working hours were assured in writing.
Education minister Vinod Tawde said almost 95% demands have been accepted. “Doctors are getting a stipend of Rs43,000-45,000pm. The government is ready to give them a raise of Rs5,000 and added security,” said the minister, who appealed to MARD to call off the strike.