Day 1 of resident doctors' strike cripples OPD services in Mumbai

Shirin Qureshi (24), in her seventh month of pregnancy, had come to Sion hospital at 7am for a follow-up check-up. Along with several patients, Qureshi waited outside the new OPD building as resident doctors' strike paralysed services.

On the first day of the indefinite strike called by resident doctors in the city, all OPDs in state and BMC-run hospitals got affected.

Goregaon resident Ankita Sharma had come to Sion hospital with her neighbour for kidney stone treatment. "We came at 7.30am to avoid a long queue. We were not aware of the strike. They told us the doctor will see us at 1.30pm. A security guard later informed us that OPD services had been cancelled because of the strike," she said.

The hospital gets more than 800 people daily in its OPD. While most of the patients went home with the advice that they should check newspaper for information on MARD strike, some, like Murtuza Shaikh, a security guard staying in Dharavi, got lucky. "I had fractured my hand two days back. Today, I was called for plastering. Thankfully, I met the doctor who quietly did the job," said Shaikh. He, however, had to buy medicines from outside as the doctor refused to write today's date because of the strike.

Several planned surgeries were also cancelled as senior doctors pitched in to manage casualty and emergency services. At Nair hospital, OPD services were hit, and 14 major and 13 minor operations were done.

Up to 2,824 patients who came to the OPD at KEM hospital were treated in spite of the strike until 3pm on Thursday. Indoor admissions to the hospital, however, were affected. While KEM has up to 750 resident doctors who manage the functioning, in their absence, medical teachers and MBBS interns had to take over the regular working of casualty, OPD and indoor admissions. But up to 167 resident doctors were working in the shadows. "Fifty-six people were admitted for treatment; usually, over a hundred get admitted daily. We did not admit many patients," said Dr Pravin Bangar, KEM's medical officer.

At JJ hospital, 330 resident doctors shunned work. "Even after so many resident doctors joined the strike, more than 100 surgeries happened," said dean Dr TP Lahane.

While the state government has indicated that it will evoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) if the MARD doesn't call off its strike soon, MARD said it is open for being prosecuted under the Act. Dr Ayudh Magdum, general secretary, Central MARD, said, "We are ready for MESMA. We want our demands fulfilled."