BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: Over 500 agitating resident doctors of North MCD’s Hindu Rao Hospital were forcibly stopped from holding a parallel OPD on the premises of the hospital on May 20, 2019. Delhi Police was called by the authorities to remove the striking resident doctors holding parallel OPDs.

However, the resident doctors treated patients by holding a parallel OPD outside the hospital in the morning session. The residents had sought permission for a temporary OPD two days ago but, going by the strict instructions from the North MCD authority, the MS of Hindu Rao Hospital did not grant them the permission. When the authorities came to know about the parallel OPD set-up, the residents were directed to vacate the space immediately.

However, some 100 doctors continued to attend patients till police force was called in to remove the agitating doctors. A police team was stationed at the hospital grounds to take care of any unpleasant incident.

"Thousands of ailing people from across the NCR area come here for treatment and looking at the larger interest, we were treating them despite our protest. However, the North MCD is trying to curb our peaceful agitation," said Dr Sanjeev Choudhary, General Secretary, RDA.

Over 30 surgeries were conducted with senior doctors and interns on their feet to ensure that medical services are not affected by the strike, said a senior doctor of the hospital.

The impact of the resident doctors' strike on Hindu Rao hospital was seen on the services as patients were seen standing in long queues in the the out-patient department of the hospital. The members of the RDA took out a march and submitted a memorandum to the authorities of North MCD and Delhi Government for not understanding their problem.