Despite continuous demonstrations against the violent rape and murder of a young doctor at Kolkata’s RK Kar Medical College, resident physicians in PGIMER, Chandigarh have found a means to continue serving patients while holding their strike. On Tuesday, the ninth day of their demonstration, the physicians established outpatient department (OPD) services at their protest location to ensure that individuals in need of medical assistance were not inconvenienced.
The resident doctors, who have been vocal in their demand for justice, established makeshift OPDs under a tent, where they provided services in ophthalmology, medicine, and paediatrics. Despite the challenging circumstances, the doctors were seen using their medical equipment to examine patients, review CT scans, and analyze X-rays.
“Patients are our responsibility, and we don’t want them to suffer,” said Dr Perugu Praneeth Reddy, one of the residents. “That’s why we are still working our shifts in the Emergency and ICU, following the roster. We know that PGI serves patients from across the region, and they have nowhere else to go.” On Tuesday alone, around 100 patients received medical care at the protest site.
Dr Smriti Thakur, who has been handling general surgery emergencies, shared a story of a paediatric patient from Bihar. The child’s father expressed concern about the difficulty of returning for treatment, prompting the doctors to take swift action. “We made an emergency card, got the ultrasound form, checked the reports, and provided the necessary medication,” Dr Thakur said, highlighting the doctors’ commitment to patient care despite the strike. She also noted that while elective surgeries were on hold, all surgeries related to malignancies continued, along with cancer OPDs.
The protest has garnered significant public attention, with doctors urging more people to join their cause. “If we don’t stand up for our colleague now, how can we expect anyone to support us in the future?” one resident remarked.
As the protest continues, OPD services at PGIMER remain limited, with registration restricted to follow-up patients only. New patient registrations have been halted until further notice, though emergency and trauma services continue to operate as usual.
At GMCH-32, where OPD services have also been curtailed, only six new patients were registered on Tuesday, while 1,491 follow-up patients received care. The hospital has announced that new patient registrations will remain closed, and online registration has been suspended until further orders.
The doctors have expressed frustration over the lack of engagement from health authorities, with the president and joint secretary of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) voicing their disappointment after failing to meet with the health secretary during recent Supreme Court proceedings related to the case.
