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Junior doctors launch stir

Correspondent

CUTTACK: As decided on Tuesday, junior doctors of SCB Medical College and Hospital here launched an indefinite strike from Wednesday, demanding opening of round-the-clock testing centres for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis-B at gynaecology and casualty departments of the hospital.

The striking doctors also demanded availability of sufficient universal protection kit and post-exposure prophalaxi drug, a preventive anti-viral against hepatitis infection in the hospital store.

The junior doctors gheraoed the hospital superintendent on Tuesday evening demanding adequate protection against the deadly diseases for the entire medical staff of the hospital who were risking their lives by exposing themselves to deadly virus.

Even as the hospital authorities opened a testing centre in the gynaecology department on an emergency basis on Wednesday morning and assured that the hospital would be adequately equipped with PEP drug and universal protection kit, the striking doctors did not relent and decided to continue their strike till their demands were met.

“The general body meeting of Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) held in the afternoon decided to continue the agitation,” said JDA general secretary Paresh Kumar Behera. “e will continue to boycott duty till another testing centre comes up in the casualty department,” he added.

Two hepatitis cases were detected from the gynaecology department on Tuesday and at least three full-blown AIDS cases were also detected from the same department in the recent days, sources in the hospital said.

Under these circumstances, it is essential that 24-hour testing centres should function in the hospital to take care of the emergency cases, said a senior doctor of the gynaecology department.

Superintendent J.K. Balabantray, when contacted, admitted that the demands of the junior doctors were genuine. “Steps are now being taken on a war-footing to set up the testing centres and we will ensure that the PEP drug and the universal kit are available for all staff working in operation theatres,” he said.

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