Hospitals say adequate measures taken to ensure staff presence during bus strike

BENGALURU: Hospital staff across Bengaluru have handled the bus strike rather well with most government run health care facilities finding alternate measures to battle the lack of transport facilities for staff members. Dr Gangadhar, Director, NIMHANS told TOI on day 2 of the strike, "Healthcare is above all strikes and our staff have found one way or the other to make it to the hospital."
However, patients visiting the city hospitals continued to face the brunt of the strike.Vijayamma couldn't wait for her mother's heart condition to be treated another day after the strike would end. Fearing that it might continue for another day as well, the resident of Tumakuru, made the three-hour journey to the city by catching a private bus and reaching Jayadeva Hospital by 9am on Tuesday. “The only problem with private buses is that they take too long but we had to come anyway because we were given the appointment. Even if I would have waited another day, what’s the guarantee the strike won't continue even tomorrow (Wednesday)? Unfortunately, people like us are never considered when these strikes are organized. It’s a pathetic state,” said Vijayamma.
Other hospitals in the city too are of the opinion that the second day of the strike would not affect the staff as much as it would the patients. “All our doctors, technicians and nursing staff are in adequate numbers so there are substitutes to fill in for those who can’t make it these two days,” said Dr CN Manjunath, Director, Jayadev Hospital. “However, the sufferers will definitely be our patients as in a day we get many from out of the city or even the state.” Jayadeva hospital recorded a low outpatient census on Monday, day 1 of the bus strike.
Dr Linge Gowda, Director, Kidwai Hospital said, “most of our outpatients are either in Dharamshalas or our wards. There is no question of any inconvenience. But for the staff we have made alternate transportation arrangements until the strike is over.”