The patients suffered across the State as the OPD boycott call given by the Government doctors paralysed the health services of the State. The association of Government doctors of State, the Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS) had given the OPD boycott call in protest against vigilance action against Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Kashipur hospital Dr BC Joshi.
The charges against the CMS, however, were not substantiated in the court and he resumed his office on Sunday. The patients returned from all the Government hospitals as OPDs were closed for the day. In Doon hospital patient surge in the morning forced the hospital management to open the registration counter for some time.
The plans of hospital management to run the OPD with the help of few contractual doctors failed due to the large number of patients. later, the authorities put up OPD close sign board outside the registration counter.
Naseeb Bano, a resident of Dl Road, said that she took her son to hospital as he is suffering from fever but on reaching the hospital she realised about the strike of doctors. The emergency services, however, functioned normally in all the hospitals. The doctors under the banner of PMHS organised a meeting at Doon hospital where they had animated discussions on future course of action.
The meeting was attended by the President of PMHS Dr B S Jangpangi, general secretary of PMHS, Dr S K Goswami, the PMS of Doon hospital Dr R S Aswal, CMS of Doon women hospital Dr Chandra Pant, district president of PMHS Dr N S Khatri and large number of doctors from different parts of the State.
The General Secretary of PMHS Dr SK Goswami said the doctors were unanimous that Dr Joshi is being victimised. The doctors demand of a proper guideline on seeing the patients after the OPD hours. The demand of implementation of DACP for all doctors and replacement of Non Practice Allowance (NPA) with special pay was also raised in the meeting.