The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Doctors up in arms in A.P.

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Sunday, Dec 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Doctors up in arms in A.P.

HYDERABAD: In a show of solidarity with the agitating doctors, the medical fraternity has decided to paralyse medical services in all Government hospitals in the State capital from Sunday and all private hospitals from Monday, if the Government did not concede to their demands.

The fast-paced developments on Saturday took the Government by surprise, when the A.P. Government Doctors’ Association (APGDA) decided to completely stop all services at Maternity Hospital in Nayapul, where two doctors were assaulted on Friday. Throwing their lot behind the Government doctors, The Indian Medical Association and the A.P. Nursing Homes Association called for a ‘medical bandh’ from Monday.

The APGDA has also called for paralysing of services at all city Government, Area, Teaching and ESI hospitals, except the emergency services from Sunday. Alarmed over the turn of events, the Government rushed Director of Medical Education A.Y Chary to Koti where the APGDA was holding a meeting. His negotiations seemed to have convinced the doctors to resist from announcing an all-State agitation at least temporarily.

Even before the APGDA and IMA announcements, medicare at Government hospitals were totally paralysed and patients who came from long distances could be seen waiting in vain for treatment. Most of them who could afford treatment outside were moving to private hospitals.

“The Medical bandh would be called off only if the State Government accepts our demands,” IMA AP chapter president Dr. P. Ravinder Reddy declared. The APGDA is convening an extended meeting of all its executive committee members from all over the State on Tuesday to chalk out the future course of action. Meanwhile, medical staff at Nayapul and Sultan Bazar maternity hospitals have been attending to only the emergency cases. In another interesting development, the A.P. Junior Doctors Association, which was spearheading the Niloufer and Nayapul agitations was dissolved. “They (junior doctors) are not willing to go to places where their lives are endangered. With these kind of problems no student is supporting the association as students are reluctant to be represented by us”, a statement sought to explain the reason behind dissolving the body.

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