‘Footfall at OPDs of state-run hospitals dropped by 40-50% in past 2-3 weeks’

Kolkata: The footfall of patients at the OPDs of government-run hospitals dropped by 40-50 per cent in the past 2-3 weeks due to the cease work of junior doctors. Sources said that patients faced inconvenienced while availing services at all the OPDs except the Emergency department after the junior doctors at all the medical colleges started cease work following the alleged rape and murder of a post graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at RG Kar Medical College. As the junior doctors cater to a large number of patients in the Non-Emergency departments, it is difficult for the senior doctors to run the OPDs in the full swing.

As the health services were affected, the number of patients’ footfall drastically dropped at the OPDs of the government hospitals. Many non-emergency patients preferred not to visit the OPDs to consult a doctor amid the doctors’ agitation, waiting for normalcy to restore. Some of the patients who usually visit a government hospital for non-emergency treatment are now preferring to go to small level private hospitals. According to a rough estimate, during normal time around 60,000-70,000 patients visit the OPDs of state-run hospitals daily on an average basis. Out of them, as many as 6,000-7,000 patients get admitted. With the cease work, the number of patients getting admitted to the hospitals on each day also dropped.

Some patients were trying not to go to government hospitals unless in case of an emergency while many others preferred to consult local doctors. Some patients who normally visit a government hospital were learnt to be visiting medium level private hospitals to keep the cost of treatment within their control. According to data, the medium level private hospitals have seen a rise in patients’ influx by 15-30 per cent in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, the junior doctors of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have started the telemedicine service from Saturday. This service will be open from 10 am to 2 pm everyday. The junior doctors are still on strike in protest against the rape and murder of a PGT doctor. The numbers to call are: 8777565251, 8777569399, 8777579517, 6290326079. In addition to the telemedicine services, the RG Kar junior doctors are set to launch an in-person clinic in the Kumartuli area starting from Sunday.