The Hindu : Stir continues, patients suffer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Stir continues, patients suffer

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI MAY 18. As the medicos' strike entered the 26th day today, patient flow in government hospitals dropped further, even as doctors, finding it tough to attend on them, refused to admit several cases.

"Doctors in specialty wards refuse to admit patients, unless they are serious cases," admitted a doctor at the casualty ward of the Government General Hospital here.

Ward doctors have asked casualty staff to admit as few medico-legal cases as possible and are sending most patients back, the GH doctors said. Without house surgeons and postgraduate doctors, who played a key role in regular patient care in government hospitals, it was difficult to offer services despite the reduced flow, they said.

However, elective surgeries were being conducted in the hospitals though the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association decided to perform only emergency operations. The Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital recorded a significant fall in out-patient cases, while in the Rajaji Government hospital in Madurai, complaints of patients with stab injuries lying unattended were received.

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