Bengaluru: Patients were put to hardship as members of the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) Resident Doctor’s Association continued their protest on the fourth day on Wednesday.
Doctors, wearing black bands, shouted slogans, ‘Yatakkagi Horaata, Nyaayakkagi Horata’ (why is this fight – fight for justice) outside the New Outpatient Department (OPD) block in Victoria Hospital.
As the OPD was shut from the day the protest started, patients coming from different parts of the state suffered. As news of suffering of patients started appearing in the media, the OPD section was partially opened allowing patients to get necessary treatment.
The protest started on Saturday as a PG student was mobbed and harassed by members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) on Friday evening in the outpatient department (OPD) of the Minto Eye Hospital, which is on the same premises.
One of the students told the media, “The protest will continue till action is taken against KRV members, who manhandled the students.” Apart from this, the students demanded safety of doctors across the state.
Putting across a set of demands before the government, the students said, “A written statement has to be given from the government that KRV members have to be punished.
The government has to assure us protection of doctors across the state both in government and private hospitals. A law has to be enforced against the harassment of doctors across the country”. If the demands are not met by Friday, the protest will be intensified by shutting down OPD sections at all government and private hospitals, they warned.
Ms Chandrakala, a resident of Banashankari, said, “I am suffering from cold, cough and headache. I came down to the hospital without knowing about the strike. Now, I have to go back without being treated.” Gangamma from Bengaluru Rural, who was with her family for her follow-up treatment, was also disappointed when she was left untreated and was asked to come another day.
