Few patients at hospitals on day of strike

CHENNAI: As news of government doctors going on strike did the rounds, there was a visible decrease in the number of patients in Chennai’s government-run hospitals on Wednesday. It had been announced that all doctors, residents and medical students would stir against the murder of Dr T Sethulakshmi in Tuticorin. Starting with the usually crowded Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to the smaller Government Peripheral Hospitals in Perambur and Anna Nagar, the number of out-patients were fewer than normal.A source at the RGGGH said that only 5,406 out-patient cases were seen in the clinics, as opposed to a usual average of over 10,000. Similarly even in-patient admissions were down by half to a modest 237 cases. “A mere seven elective surgeries were performed, two of which were emergencies. We managed quite well,” the source added.“People were under the impression that there would be no medical care given at State-run hospitals and so the crowds were low,” admitted a government medical officer. Surprisingly the strike was low key and most of the assistant doctors and surgeons turned up for duty, confirmed the officer. “The majority of those who participated in the strike were medical residents as only 22 of 164 signed in for duty today,” added another source at GGH.Doctors who had agreed to a token participation joined in a rally within the hospitals’ campuses and raised slogans that called for increased safety for healthcare professionals. Meanwhile in Madurai, patients from neighbouring districts who thronged the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) waited in vain, as the doctors refused to attend to them at the 28 outpatient clinics. Doctors attended only to emergency cases, elective surgeries remained cancelled.When approached by the patients, a few doctors pointed to a poster they had put up to condemn the murder of Dr Sethulakshmi.