No Essential Medicines, Key Services Not Working at OGH, Say Protesting Doctors

Hyderabad: The interns, postgraduate students and senior residents affiliated with the Osmania Medical College Junior Doctors Association (OMC JUDA), working at Osmania General Hospital (OGH), launched a protest on Monday not over stipends but over the lack of essential medicines, equipment and functional hospital services.

The doctors have withdrawn general services, elective outpatient services and elective operation theatre services as part of their protest, demanding the release of pending funds to ensure patient care. They said the Cath Lab, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) Department and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) services had not been functional for the past four months.

Arun Kumar, a senior resident in the cardiology department, told Deccan Chronicle that the doctors had raised the issues with the Health Secretary, Director of Medical Education and the college principal a week ago, but the problems remained unresolved. He said they wanted the government to release the required funds and provide written assurance that the issues would be addressed.

Ahmad (50) a patient of heart attack is seen holding his papers and book explaining that he is not being given medicines for months.

The doctors said shortages of essential medicines and consumables were affecting treatment, investigations and procedures. Consumables required for Urology, Neurosurgery and Surgical Gastroenterology, orthopaedic implants, scopes for Medical Gastroenterology and contrast material for CT and MRI investigations were among the items reportedly unavailable.

The association attributed the resource constraints to pending Aarogyasri funds and said the shortages were affecting both patient care and postgraduate training. The non-functional Cath Lab, CTVS Department and CRRT services were limiting treatment for patients requiring specialised cardiac, cardiothoracic, vascular and renal care.