Osmania junior docs launch strike against congested OTs, post-operative ward in new building

Hyderabad: The junior doctors at Osmania General Hospital and Medical College, on Wednesday, launched a strike demanding better facilities in the new building where some wards of the hospital had been shifted after the ancient building got flooded on July 27.

The doctors of general and orthopaedic surgery boycotted duties in the out-patient and elective surgeries wards.

“At the general surgery operation theatre in the new building, neither is there space nor adequate facilities to perform an operation. It is more like a makeshift operation theatre,” said Dr P. Rohit, orthopaedic PG surgeon and president, Osmania Telangana Junior Doctors Association.”There is no post-operative ward even.”

'Inspite of repeated requests regarding basic health care facilities in Osmania general Hospital (operation theatre wards, fully equipped ASC and Post operative wards) issues are un addressed, We are forced to go on strike, says Osmania Telangana Junior doctors association. pic.twitter.com/vgikETJUvW

— NewsMeter (@NewsMeter_In) September 9, 2020

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“After the surgery, the patients are shifted to the general ward in the Qutub Quli Shah building where the general patients are there. When patients post-operation are kept along with other patients, there are chances of the operated patients getting infected with some disease and if the orthopaedic patients will get infected with COVID, it will become tough for the doctors to keep monitoring them,” pointed out Rohit.

The junior doctors said that they were able to conduct only 2-3 surgeries per day due to lack of facilities which is depriving many of timely treatment. “Patients are waiting for surgeries for 20-30 days and Osmania being a non-COVID hospital, patients with all sorts of complaints come here. They are being forced to wait for long for surgeries,” he pointed out.

“It is the patients who are suffering more than the doctors. We came here to learn performing surgeries and if there is no sufficient practice, then we will only be committing more mistakes which can prove fatal to the patients,” he added.

The junior doctors demanded that the old building of the hospital be opened for performing surgeries and utilising the post-operative ward.“This will enable us to have more space and the patients also need not wait for surgeries and treatment,” he reasoned.

To this, the superintendent of Osmania General Hospital and Medical College Dr B. Nagendra maintained that facilities available at the hospital are sufficient to treat the patients. The government is taking steps to increase the capacity of the hospitals and to provide all facilities in all the wards. This will take some time, he said.

He urged the PG students to cooperate with the officials and manage to treat the patients with the available facilities, in view of the pandemic.

“I appeal to all the PG students to provide their services to the patients as this is the only non-COVID hospital during the pandemic. All the facilities will be provided very soon,” he said.

He also added that they are in the process to open the operation theatre in the GHMC building once the tender is finalised.