The Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) management has deputed seven specialists from non-clinical side to three medical teaching institutions on Saturday to face staff crunch in view of the emergency services boycott called by the striking 315 junior doctors’ association (JUDA) members.

According to the KMC principal, Dr Achanta Vivekananda, seven non-clinical side doctors were given orders to resume duties at the 1,000-bedded MGM hospital (3), CKM hospital (2) and Hanamkonda government maternity hospital on Saturday.

However, the KMC management cited helplessness with regard to the functioning of Arogyasri and elective surgeries due to paucity of junior doctors. “The elective surgeries and Arogyasri services have been hit in teaching hospitals,” said Dr Vivekananda. Though the JUDA members went on emergency boycott with effect from 5 pm on Friday, their withdrawal from services is yet to show a large scale impact on the functioning of health services in the five teaching cum medical institutions under the KMC jurisdiction in Warangal.

This is being attributed to the ongoing Medaram jatara season, which had a bandh like impact on the city on Friday (including other days) owing to the district administration’s announcement of a public holiday.

“We will get the complete picture of the impact of the JUDA stir on health services on Monday,” said Dr M Satyadev, MGM hospital superintendent, who cited reduced flow of patients at the hospital during jatara days.

As on Saturday, sources said that most impact of the withdrawal of services by JUDA was felt at TB hospital (already has a staff crunch) and at MGM hospital’s neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU), where four junior doctors are always required to work round the clock.

Meanwhile, a few senior doctors have questioned the JUDA stir over implementation of Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines by the state as ‘impractical’.

“MCI is just a regulatory body and its guidelines are not mandatory on the state. The junior doctors should not miss the human angle and behave like trade unions,” said a senior doctor, while suggesting the government to hike in service quota seats from the present 30 per cent to 50 per cent in postgraduate medical courses on the logic that being on government pay they would not go on strike often.

Presently, in view of the JUDA stir, all the five medical teaching colleges are depending on the 30 per cent ‘service candidates’, who secured admissions in postgraduate course based on government in service quota.

The rest 70 per cent seats in postgraduate medical courses are filled directly from fresh MBBS candidates. The KMC JUDA president, Dr B. Hanm-andlu could not be contacted for his comments.