No assurance from Eatala; Gandhi PG docs' strike enters 3rd day

Hyderabad: The protest by over 500 junior doctors from Telangana’s nodal centre for Covid-19, Gandhi Hospital, has entered the third day on Thursday as the Telangana government has failed to fulfil the demands of the doctors. The Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) has reiterated that they will go ahead with the strike and will not get back to duty until their demand to decentralise Covid-19 cases from Gandhi to other hospitals is accepted.

The decision comes after a meeting of the association members with Telangana health minister Etala Rajender.

“We are continuing with our strike as the health minister did not promise us anything regarding our demands. We are not going to resume our duties unless our demand to decentralise Covid cases is met,” JUDA leaders said. The association also issued a notice regarding the same to Gandhi superintendent Dr Raja Rao.

#GandhiHospital : Protest by PG doctors continues. Minister @Eatala_Rajender has assured that Severe Acute Respiratory Infection cases won't be directed to Gandhi but is yet to give a word on decentralisation of #COVID cases. pic.twitter.com/NKpHx7oYeH

— NewsMeter (@NewsMeter_In) June 11, 2020

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The other demands raised by the junior doctors include special security force, quality PPE kits to all government hospitals, recruitment of more man power in all the government hospitals, two members from T-JUDA on Telangana panel for Covid-19 board. While the Post graduate doctors are on a strike, faculty members and senior professors are taking care of the patients admitted to Gandhi Hospital. It is pertinent to mention that, there is no halt in the medical treatment provided.

Meanwhile, trouble is mounting for Gandhi Hospital administration after the family of a 35-year-old man, who succumbed to Covid-19 on June 10, alleged that his body has gone missing from the mortuary.

According to the family, the man, who used to run LifeCare Medical Hall in Mehdipatnam area, was shifted to Gandhi Hospital on June 8 after he was tested positive for Covid-19.

On June 10, his relatives were informed that the man had succumbed and asked them to identify his body at the hospital mortuary. However, according to the family, the body was missing and there is no response from the

Gandhi administration.

The Chilkalguda police started searching for the body inside Gandhi Hopsital. According to the police, there is no entry of the man’s case in the mortuary register. The investigating team hence suspect that the body must

have been left somewhere on the corridors of the hospital. Since there are no CCTV cameras in the hospital, the officers are visiting each floor to search

for the body.