Date:22/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/22/stories/2006082205690300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Patients put to misery due to doctors' strike

Staff Reporter

Echo of King George Hospital incident in Anantapur

ANANTAPUR: Patients suffered the most at Government General Hospital here on Monday as doctors boycotted work in protest against the attack on duty doctors at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Even out-patients who came here from far-off places had to go back disappointed. Some of the patients picked up an altercation with the doctors.

They felt it was unjustified to penalise patients here for an incident that had occurred in Visakhapatnam.

Several out-patients who turned for check-up vented their anger on doctors alleging that the latter were not doing justice to their duties.

Ire turns on media

The doctors got irritated when a few mediapersons, including cameraman of a regional television news channel, were covering the squabble between a group of doctors and patients.

They squarely blamed the media for such incidents.

The doctors threatened to attack the cameraman and asked print media reporters to leave the place.

They surrounded the cameraman, but the reporters came to their colleague's rescue.

Later, under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors' Association, the doctors took out a procession from the hospital to the camp office of S.K. Jain, SP, and submitted a memorandum seeking protection.