As doctors intensify strike, govt health services hit, no OPD

CHANDIGARH, AMRITSAR, BATHINDA: OPD and other medical services in govt health facilities of Punjab were completely suspended on Thursday as doctors intensified their protest to demand restoration of assured career progression (ACP), and improved safety measures.

The suspension of services, part of the second phase of the doctors' protest, will continue up to Sept 15 if govt fails to meet their demands.

This means there will be no OPD services, elective surgeries, and medical examinations for driving and arms licences, and govt jobs, for the next three days at govt facilities in Punjab. Emergency services will continue to function.

A meeting between Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) representatives, a cabinet sub-committee formed to resolve the issue, and health minister Dr Balbir Singh resulted in an in-principle agreement to implement the demands in an expeditious and time-bound manner.

The same was reiterated by the health minister in a statement while urging PCMSA to call off its strike.

However, PCMSA expressed dissatisfaction with govt's written assurances, stating they did not accurately reflect cabinet sub-committee's proceedings.

PCMSA noted the letter failed to mention reinstatement of stalled ACPs, which were approved in principle by the sub-committee.

After a general body meeting, PCMSA unanimously passed a resolution expressing dissatisfaction over the delay in restoring ACPs and implementing on-ground security measures.

Dr Akhil Sarin, president of PCMSA, said they have demanded full implementation of ACP within six weeks and had announced earlier that OPDs will remain suspended on Thursday as a mark of protest.

However, patients faced inconvenience across govt hospitals during the day, forcing several of them from remote areas to turn back without consulting doctors in district and sub-divisional hospitals.

The situation was distressing for some, even as they expressed sympathy with doctors and urged govt to meet their demands.

Bachan Singh, who had come from Sangat Mandi to Bathinda civil hospital, said he is undergoing treatment for high blood pressure and wanted his medicine to be changed, but he could not meet any doctor due to the ongoing strike. Karmo Devi, who travelled 20km from Sehjara village to Barnala civil hospital for age-related ailments, had to return without meeting a doctor.

Doctors held a rally in the civil hospital in support of their demands where activists from farmer organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and labourer organisation Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union lent them support and participated in the rally, asking the govt to fulfil the demands of doctors.

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