At least 350 postgraduate doctors from Gandhi Hospital — the state-run hospital solely dedicated for COVID-19 cases — have threatened to boycott duties, if the government does not resume non-COVID services at the hospital from November 1. Gandhi Hospital was declared ‘Centre of Excellence for COVID Care’ late in March this year during the second stage of coronavirus, and the other departments were shifted to Osmania General Hospital (OGH).
The protesting doctors said that they are losing out in their academic studies due to lack of clinical exposure, which might affect their results in the final examinations. The doctors complained that they are not gaining expertise of any other health complications except COVID-19 treatment for the past seven months.
The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) gave a representation regarding this to the Director of Medical Education and the hospital superintendent on Sunday, according to reports.
“Since there are no surgeries or other procedures related to any department which is not involved with COVID-19, junior doctors are just getting theoretical knowledge. Even when these batches pass out, they will lag behind in this crucial aspect,” a student was quoted as saying by The Times of India. The doctors had made the same appeal on several occasions earlier.
The junior doctors threatened that they would boycott their duties from November 1, if their demands are not met. The hospital has nearly 600 junior doctors.
With the Gandhi Hospital, the apex tertiary hospital, treating only COVID-19 cases, the burden on OGH had increased. Earlier in June, the junior doctors of Gandhi Hospital led a large-scale agitation demanding decentralisation of COVID-19 cases in the hospital after a series of attacks on the doctors by the patients’ kin.
Meanwhile, as per the Tuesday medical bulletin, Telangana recorded 837 COVID-19 cases and four deaths. Presently, the state has 17,890 cases with 14,851 individuals under home isolation.