Strike hits newborns, renal patients hard

Bangalore, 12 Feb 2013 (DHNS): Newborn babies and those patients suffering from kidney failure have been especially hard hit by the indefinite strike called by the health workers, including doctors, which entered the fourth day on Monday. 

 

Soumya, who had brought her baby for monthly vaccination, was denied entry at the KC General Hospital despite being asked to report on Monday. “I would not have come here had I known about the strike,” she said.

 

The hospital, which receives over 20 patients daily for dialysis, shut the facility, as it had no doctors. There was also no supply of water. The hospital had 31 patients with a handful of doctors on call.

 

At the Jayanagar General Hospital, 11 patients underwent dialysis. There are 23 patients whose dialysis timings have been scheduled. The hospital had catered to six deliveries and dog-bite cases in the last three days. Closing the outpatient department services at both the hospitals led to ruckus as hundreds of patients were sent back without treatment.

 

The deadlock between the striking doctors and the government continued on Monday with the former adamantly demanding that the Medical Education Department immediately hand over 10 district hospitals back to the Health and Family Welfare department. Their demands include the timely payment of salaries and amendments to transfer policies.

 

Meanwhile, talks between members of the Karnataka Government Health Department Officers and Employees’ Welfare Association and Health Minister Aravinda Limbavali have failed.  The striking staff refused to accede to the minister asking them to wait for the State Cabinet sub-committee report on the issue.

 

The sub-committee meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday.

 

However, members of the Karnataka State Senior and Junior Health Assistants Association withdrew their protest to participate in a national programme on administering drugs to prevent elephantiasis. 

 

Association president B H Gangaiah said the members had decided to resume work from Tuesday on the assurance that they would get their remuneration regularly and the transfer policy be amended.

 

Meanwhile, the High Court took up a suo motu case with regard to boycott of work by medical professionals.

 

Following a representation by advocate S Vasudeva, urging the court to take action against protesting doctors, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice K Sreedhar Rao and Justice Abdul Naseer took his appeal into consideration. The bench asked the High Court Registrar General to file an application in the case.