Gandhi Hospital doctors get Telangana JUDA\'s support over restoring non-COVID service

Hyderabad: Junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital who have been demanding immediate restoration of all non-Covid-19 services, on Sunday received support from the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) which called on all its units to extend support to their colleagues at Gandhi Hospital who have been on strike since November 11.

The TJUDA state panel on Sunday met at Osmania Medical College where it discussed the situation in Gandhi Hospital and the position taken by the striking junior doctors. TJUDA state president Dr V. Naveen called on junior doctors in all government medical colleges to extend support to the Gandhi Hospital junior doctors. “The further action that TJUDA might take, will be decided in a day,” Dr Naveen said.

Junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital struck work on November 11 asking the government to remove the Covid-19 designated hospital status to the institution and restart non-Covid-19 services. The doctors have been, for the past couple of months, asking for this as restricting the super-specialty Gandhi Hospital only to Covid-19 services was affecting their learning with respect to dealing with other health related problems people face.

Though the Director of Medical Education did issue orders saying non-Covid-19 emergency surgeries can resume at Gandhi Hospital from November 21, the junior doctors say this does little to address their concerns about the gaps in their education and practical experience of dealing with different kinds of health cases, particularly for those in their third year of residency whose terms at the hospital will end in February next.

“As long as the Covid-19 designated hospital tag continues, non-Covid-19 patients will not see Gandhi Hospital as an option to go to. Also, all services, including outpatient and inpatient services should be opened,” Dr Naveen said.