Patients suffered as the strike of the contractual workers of Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl) continued for second day on Friday. On demand of the converting their contract with UPNl to departmental contract with the departments they are working, the UPNl workers are on a strike from Thursday.
In the associated hospital of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) all 171 odd UPNl workers are on strike. Their strike has hit the services at registration counters, billing section, pathology and radiology department. As part of its effort to put minimum effect of the strike on the patients, the hospital administration made some elaborate measures on Friday. In view of lock out of the billing counter, the hospital administration has asked the pathology and radiology departments to collect the requisite fee and provide hand written bills to the patients. The patients were however troubled when the hospital staff asked them to hand over photocopies of their registration slips. The arrangement of providing bills at the service itself was successful to some extent but due to lack of awareness many patients were found roaming from one place to another in the hospital. The closure of Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojna (MSBY) counter also brought discomfiture to the patients who visited the hospital hoping to get the benefit of the scheme.
The Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital, Dr KK Tamta said that the alternate arrangements are being made so that the patients have minimum impact of the strike of UPNl workers.
Meanwhile the private pathology labs , X ray, Ultra sound and MRI clinics are reporting higher business these days as the patients of government hospitals are visiting them due to the strike.