Resident doctors’ strike stalls medical services across state

Jaipur: Harnek Singh (58) from Dudu, arrived at SMS Hospital on Tuesday for a pre-scheduled hernia surgery, only to be turned away due to the ongoing resident doctors' strike. Despite receiving an early surgery date, Singh was informed that only life-saving operations were being conducted, and was asked to return once the strike ends.In one of the general surgery theatres, though three tables were available, only one was in use. "We had 30 surgeries scheduled for Tuesday but managed only seven due to the absence of resident doctors. The rest were postponed," said Dr. Jeevan Kankaria, senior professor at SMS Hospital. Among the deferred procedures were hernia and gallstone surgeries, with similar delays seen across other theatres.Wards that are usually packed with patients now have empty beds. "Before the strike, every bed in our ward was occupied. Now, several lie vacant," said Hanuman Saini, a patient's attendant.The strike has crippled services in govt hospitals linked to medical colleges. Residents from all 18 colleges under the Rajasthan Medical Education Society are on a complete work boycott. SMS Hospital, the state's largest, remains the hardest hit. The situation worsened state-wide as residents from Ajmer, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Pali, Barmer, Bundi, Pali, and Rajsamand joined the strike, leading to the postponement of elective surgeries across the board. In Ajmer, residents at JLN Medical College Hospital persisted with their strike for the third day, while in Udaipur, 558 resident doctors from six hospitals associated with RNT Medical College remained on strike.Key services at SMS Hospital, including IPD, OT, OPD, and emergency, are heavily disrupted, especially during night shifts. Though 50 doctors were assigned to help, they were placed in the IPD, leaving critical departments understaffed. Hospitals affiliated with SMS Medical College, such as JK Lon, Kanwatia, and Gangauri, are similarly affected, with serious patients unable to gain admission. SMS Hospital's emergency department wrote to SMS Medical College that once the strike is called off, the department will only allow resident doctors to resume duties after getting approval from the college administration, said Dr BP Meena, head of the department.With surgeries delayed, many patients are being forced to seek treatment in private hospitals.
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