Following the call of junior doctors of Hyderabad’s Gandhi Hospital, doctors of Osmania General Hospital (OGH), Kakatiya Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) have supported their agitation and threatened to join the strike, if the government does not resume non-COVID services at Gandhi Hospital.

On Monday, junior doctors of RIMS and KMC, notified their respective administrations about their intent to go on a protest from November 18, if their demand is not fulfilled. While OGH offered their solidarity and threatened to go on a strike, they did not give a specific deadline. “We stand in support of the decision taken by TJUDA on boycotting electives from November 18, if demands, mentioned by Gandhi junior doctors, are not met. We are ready to serve with more dedication if our demands are met,” junior doctors of KMC were quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The Hindu reported that a few days ago, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association representatives from OGH, RIMS and KMC held a discussion on the issue, following which they offered help to intensify their struggle. 

Nearly a week ago, junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital boycotted their services demanding the government to provide non-COVID services in the apex tertiary hospital. Since March, the Gandhi Hospital-- the state-run hospital-- has been admitting only COVID-19 patients in their facility. And poor patients requiring non-COVID treatment are forced to go to OGH, increasing the pressure on them.

The protesting doctors say that due to the government’s decision to make Gandhi Hospital an exclusive COVID-19 facility, they are losing out on their academics due to lack of clinical experience in other cases.

The Director of Medical Education, Dr Ramesh Reddy had already issued instructions to resume non-COVID services in Gandhi Hospital. However, the junior doctors are continuing their protest as the order is yet to be implemented. 

Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr Raja Rao had reportedly said that they will initially begin surgical specialities after the Deepavali festival, and other services will slowly be added.