Patients face extended delays in USG, X-Ray amid docs’ strike

Kolkata: As the junior doctors’ strike continues, patients visiting the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital for Ultrasonography (USG) and X-ray appointments are facing significant delays, leading to harassment.

Despite arriving on their scheduled dates, they are being given new dates, often extending their wait by one to three months. Arjina Biwi, 22, travelled from Nadia with her child and mother-in-law for an X-ray on Monday. Upon arrival, she was informed that no doctors were available and was given a new date of September 30.

Tarak Dutta from Ganganagar in North 24-Parganas was given an appointment on September 9 for his USG, three months ago. When he arrived at the hospital on Monday he was given a new USG date of November 11. “They asked us to understand the situation regarding RG Kar. The RG Kar case is indeed serious, but why should the general public and patients be deprived of services? We are receiving good treatment from the doctors, but why was I given a new date for my USG?” said Dutta.

Iffat, a patient from Zakaria Street, was told two weeks ago to get a USG. Unable to get the test done at the hospital due to the strike, she had to pay Rs 1200 for the test elsewhere and returned for a follow-up on Monday. She is undergoing treatments

for Gastroenterology. A senior doctor at the Medical College acknowledged the difficulties faced by patients, stating that the Radiology Department is prioritising urgent cases due to the strike. Only emergency cases are being handled.

The hospital has seen a decline in patient numbers, with current OPD visits around 5,000-5,500, nearly half of the pre-strike figures. He also reported that the hospital had seen the lowest number of patients on August 10, the day after the RG Kar incident. The patient number was around 1,900. The number is on the rise. The senior doctor expressed hope that the junior doctors would return to work following the Supreme Court’s directives, adding that the backlog of X-rays and USGs could be cleared promptly upon

their return.

He also highlighted that despite officially participating in the strike, a group of postgraduate Trainee (PGT) Doctors are assisting senior doctors when necessary. This gesture has helped to maintain the hospital’s operations to some extent during this challenging period.