AP Govt doctors go on flash strike

Visakhapatnam: Over 1,000 outpatients suffered at the King George Hospital (KGH) and hundreds of patients at other government hospitals in the city after the government doctors went on a flash strike on Tuesday. It may be recalled that the Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors Association issued a notice to the government stating that they would launch the strike for the redressal of their demands.

The APGDA already served a notice on Principal Secretary, Andhra Medical College and Superintendent of KGH that they are not attending to the duties from Tuesday. With this, the authorities of the government hospitals made alternative arrangements with the junior doctors.

The junior doctors at the KGH, Government Hospital for Maternity Care, Government Hospital for Mental Care, Regional Eye Hospital, Government TB Hospital and other hospitals not attended to the duties.

In all, 460 doctors are working at all the government hospitals in Visakhapatnam. The authorities accorded top priority to the services of the inpatients and emergency cases. The classes at Andhra Medical College were suspended with the flash strike. 

Principal of  Andhra Medical College Dr PV Sudhakar informed that classes have been suspended after the doctors went on the strike. The principal also confirmed that the doctors are not attended to the services at the outpatient's wing at the KGH. "With the help of the junior doctors, we attended to the patients," Sudhakar told The Hans India.

Meanwhile, Dr P Shyam Sundar, General Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors Association, said that the association held discussions with Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Poonam Malakondaiah in Amaravati on Tuesday and she assured to resolve their problems.

The Principal Secretary directed the officials to fufil the demands of the APGDA within three-weeks. She also fixed a date for another meeting to be convened on October 22 and before the meeting, all the demands of the association would be fulfilled, the government assured," Dr Shyam Sundar told The Hans India.