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SCB junior doctors continue agitation

Correspondent

Demands of the striking staff are fulfilled, claim hospital authorities

CUTTACK: The indefinite cease-work stir by junior doctors of the SCB Medical College and Hospital continued for the second day on Thursday even as the hospital authorities claim that demands of the striking doctors have been fulfilled.

Junior doctors, numbering about 300, are on strike demanding adequate protection from the deadly disease of AIDS as more and more numbers of patients suffering from it and hepatitis disease are detected in hospital.

The hospital authorities claim that they are now equipped with adequate stock of post-exposure prophalaxi (PEP), a preventive anti-viral drug and universal protection kit for the surgeons operating HIV positives. Besides the drugs and kits, the striking doctors have also been demanding opening of 24-hour testing centres for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis in gynaecology and casualty department of the hospital.

“We will continue to boycott duties till the full-fledged and functional testing centres come up in the hospital,” said the general secretary of Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA), Paresh Kumar Behera.

Speaking to this correspondent, Dr. Behera said that the general body meeting of the JDA would decide the next course of action later in the evening.

Meanwhile, hospital superintendent J.K. Balabantray said that as per the demands of striking doctors, a testing centre was already functional in gynaecology department from Wednesday morning.

“We will also open another centre in the casualty department in a day-or-two,” he said adding that a room in the casualty department was getting readied for the purpose.

On availability of PEP drug and protection kit, Dr. Balabantray said the hospital was now well-equipped with them.

“Some striking doctors verified the stock at the hospital store and they were satisfied with the stock situation,” he claimed hoping that the junior doctors would resume their duties soon.

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