Kolkata: Responding to the call for OPD shutdown by the Joint Platform of Doctors, most doctors at private hospitals across the city stayed away from the OPD on Wednesday .
While many knew about the OPD closure call, those who were not aware about it were in for a tough time. “I came all the way from Basanti with my father-in-law, a neurology patient, but Ruby officials asked me to come another day as doctors were not working in the OPD,” said Bapaditya Giri.
Right after the OPD shutdown call, some hospitals managed to inform patients who had prior bookings to avoid inconvenience. By Tuesday night, many doctors had communicated to their respective hospital administrations that they would stay off OPD duty on Wednesday. The emergency and in-patient services were not affected.
“Our doctors asked for OPD leave to extend their support to the ongoing agitation. We obliged because this was in protest against the brutal crime,” said Subhasish Datta, GM (operations) at Ruby Hospitals.
Debasish Bhattacharya, CMD of Disha Eye Hospitals, said: “In a show of solidarity with the doctors, we kept our OPDs closed at all our units.”
Doctors at all units of Manipal also stayed off OPD services. “We have decided to keep all routine OPD and non-emergency services closed for the day,” said Subhalakshmi Sengupta, consultant of onco-pathology, Medica Oncology. “Hope justice is delivered soon as the patients are suffering the most,” said Prashant Sharma, MD of Charnock Hospital.
In the evening, doctors and healthcare workers from privated hospitals marched from Mukundapur to Ruby crossing, demanding arrest of all the culprits.