Doctors call for boycott of OP services today

Hyderabad: In continuance of the protest against the rape and murder of medico student in RG Kar Medical College, the doctors fraternity in the State have called for boycott of outpatient services for 24 hours from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday. Some of the private hospitals have also decided to boycott the OP services on Saturday.

On the call given by the IMA, the doctors would be taking up protest at Dharna Chowk on Saturday and boycotting the OPs. The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) took out a big rally from Osmania Medical College to the Osmania General Hospital on Friday. The doctors demanded justice, raising slogans and holding placards during their rally. About 1,000 doctors from ESIC Hospital in Sanathnagar took up a rally and staged a Rasta Roko causing a huge traffic jam.

The doctors at Gandhi Hospital continued their sit-in in protest. One of the doctors said that she was not here as a medical post graduate student but as a woman. The incident happened in a State from which great personalities like Ravindranath Tagore and Dr BC Roy have come. She said that such a big incident had happened and it has been seven days now but there was no concrete steps taken. “We do emergency duties in casualty. Many times, many attendees come to the hospital. They feel that doctors are Gods. This is a tertiary hospital and severe cases come here and we cannot save all,” she said.

Another protesting doctor said, “The relatives of patients come and attack us when there is some delay. We understand their sentiment. During the strike two months back, we demanded a police outpost in Gandhi, but it was not done here. They attack doctors even though there is no fault of theirs. There is no proper CCTV footage. Even at RG Kar there was no proper CCTV surveillance.”

Private hospitals like Apollo, Yashoda, Star, KIMS have withdrawn the non-emergency services and elective surgeries for one day on August 17. The Telangana Government Nursing officers have decided to attend duties wearing black badges for one hour from 9 am to 10 am. The Telangana Government Doctors Association Osmania Unit will be protesting wearing black badges between 9 am and 10 am near Osmania General Hospital on Saturday. The Telangana Nurses Association has sought permission for a three-day black ribbon protest from August 17 to 19.