Patients suffer as junior doctors in Bihar strike work

Junior doctors of Bihar are on an indefinite strike from Monday after the state refused to accept their five-point charter of demands.

Due to the agitation, patients are at the receiving end as they await their turn in long queues at the medical colleges of the state.

Dr. Kundan Suman, the state president of the junior doctors association said that since the state government has not met their five demands, they are being forced to suspend their work from Monday.

"We have demanded the recruitment of additional doctors in the medical colleges of Bihar. Keeping in view the third wave of Corona which is expected in January next year, the recruitment of doctors is immediately required. The idea is to reduce the workload on present doctors. It will accordingly reduce the threat of infection," Suman said.

"Besides, they have demanded the raising the incentives of intern doctors from Rs 15,000 to Rs 24,000, one month bonus as encouragement amount for doctors who will give their service during Corona period, etc. At present, the state government has a provision to work for a year in medical colleges for the doctors who have passed post graduate courses. We have demanded from the government to withdraw this law and give study leave to those doctors who are going for higher study," Suman said.

Apart from that, the state government should request the Centre to conduct NEET and PG examinations. Due to delays in these examinations, the state government should appoint nonacademic junior resident doctors.

Following the suspension of works, the patients of PMCH Patna, IGIMS Patna, NMCH Patna, DMCH Darbhanga, ANMCH Gaya, SKMCH Muzaffarpur, GMCH Bettiah, JKTMCH Madhepura, and ANMCH Bhagalpur are suffering.

Dr. Vidyapati Chaudhary, the dean of PMCH Patna said: "The additional secretary of health department already interacted with junior doctors and he has sent the file of three demands before the health minister and additional chief secretary of the health department. Their demands are under consideration, still, they have suspended their work which is attributed to inhuman behavior with poor patients."