OPD SERVICES PARALYZED OVER DOCTORS’ SAFETY

OPD SERVICES PARALYZED OVER DOCTORS’ SAFETY

24-JAN-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR----------------------------The alleged misbehavior, assault, and vandalism against doctors and healthcare workers at Sadar Hospital have shaken the district's healthcare system. Long-standing questions about the safety of doctors have once again come to the forefront. In protest, OPD services at all government hospitals in the district have been completely shut down following a call by the Bihar Health Services Association. The OPD closure has been announced for Friday as well, after Thursday's closure, while emergency services are being maintained on a limited basis.

The alleged misbehavior, assault, and vandalism against doctors and healthcare workers at Sadar Hospital have shaken the district's healthcare system. Long-standing questions about the safety of doctors have once again come to the forefront. In protest, OPD services at all government hospitals in the district have been completely shut down following a call by the Bihar Health Services Association. The OPD closure has been announced for Friday as well, after Thursday's closure, while emergency services are being maintained on a limited basis. This decision directly affected ordinary patients. On Thursday, hundreds of patients who arrived at Sadar Hospital, subdivisional hospitals, and primary and community health centers for treatment had to return without consultation or medication.

In protest against the misbehavior towards doctors and medical personnel, OPD services will be boycotted on January 22nd and 23rd.

Patients, especially those from rural areas and the elderly, faced immense difficulties. Many patients said that they had traveled long distances early in the morning to reach the hospital, but due to lack of information about the strike, they had to return disappointed. In a written application submitted to the Civil Surgeon, the Bihar Health Services Association has clearly stated that such incidents will not stop until the safety of doctors and healthcare workers is ensured. The association has termed the two-day OPD boycott a warning, stating that if strict action is not taken against the culprits and robust security arrangements are not made in the hospital premises, the movement will be intensified.

The entire controversy is related to an incident that took place at Sadar Hospital on the night of January 20. According to reports, Rajesh Kumar Singh, a resident of Tiyara village, brought his wife, Devanti Devi, to Sadar Hospital at night with complaints of vomiting and diarrhea. The doctor on emergency duty provided primary treatment. According to hospital staff, the woman's blood pressure was extremely high at that time.

The woman died after the treatment, following which her family members created a ruckus in the hospital premises, alleging negligence in treatment. The family members claim that the woman's condition worsened after she was given an injection and that she died due to wrong treatment. However, the doctors' version is different.

The doctors say that the woman was given the necessary treatment immediately, and given the extremely high blood pressure, a brain hemorrhage was suspected. The doctors allege that after the death, the family members and those who accompanied them assaulted the doctors and healthcare workers, hurled abuses, and vandalized the hospital. This is not the first time that healthcare workers in the district have faced violence. Recently, a similar incident occurred at Dumraon Sub-Divisional Hospital, where family members of patients injured in an accident created a huge uproar after a delay in getting an ambulance. During that incident, stretchers and gates were broken, and doctors had to hide to save their lives.

An FIR was registered against unknown persons in that case, but despite this, the incidents are not stopping. Doctors say that there are neither enough security guards nor a permanent police presence in the hospitals. Doctors working in stressful situations feel insecure all the time. They clearly state that until basic security arrangements are made, it is difficult to expect better treatment. Currently, the administration has assured an investigation into the entire matter. However, the closure of OPD services is causing increasing hardship for the general public. All eyes are now on the administration and the health department to see how quickly they can resolve this impasse and find a concrete solution that is in the best interests of both patients and doctors.