Patients planning to consult doctors or those who want to undergo non-emergency surgeries on Monday would face difficulties as out-patient services and elective surgeries at three major government tertiary hospitals, private hospitals and clinics would not be extended. Senior and junior doctors would boycott elective medical services marking their protest against attack on doctors. The boycott has been triggered by attack on doctors in Kolkata.
The members of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said they would go ahead with the nation-wide strike on June 17. The IMA-Telangana branch honorary secretary Sanjeev Singh Yadav said they spoke to the managements of private hospitals and clinics, who have confirmed their participation in the strike by shutting down elective services.
“Only emergency medical services will be extended to patients,” said Dr. Sanjeev Singh. Besides, the members of Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (TJUDA) would also boycott elective services protesting increase in the retirement age of teaching doctors from 58 years to 65 years. P.S. Vijayender, chairperson of TJUDA, said they represented the issue to Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Sunday. Junior doctors would boycott elective services at Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Hospital and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Warangal.
Healthcare Reforms Doctors’ Association (HRDA) president K. Mahesh Kumar said they would hold Nirudhyoga Sabha on Tuesday by convening unemployed doctors.