OPDs in all hospitals in Karnataka to be shut on August 17

Outpatient services in Karnataka hospitals suspended on August 17 in solidarity with IMA's nationwide strike for justice.

Outpatient services in both government and private hospitals in Karnataka will not be available on Saturday (August 17), with members of the Karnataka Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) and Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) extending support to the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) call for a 24-hour nationwide Outpatient Department (OPD) closure.

The IMA’s nationwide call for withdrawal of services from 6 am on Saturday (August 17) to 6 am on Sunday (August 18) is against the brutal crime in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata and the hooliganism unleashed on the protesting students on the eve of the Independence Day.

IMA State unit president Srinivasa S. said routine OPDs and elective surgeries will not be conducted on Saturday. However, all essential services will be maintained, and casualties will be manned. The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service, he said, adding that the strike is a desperate cry for justice.

KGMOA president Vivek Dorai, who submitted a memorandum to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao informing him about the strike, said care will be taken to ensure that patients are not put to hardship. “Except OPDs, all other services will be functional in government hospitals,” he said.

PHANA president Govindaiah Yatheesh said improved safety measures for healthcare workers is paramount. “As healthcare providers, we condemn the growing violence against medical professionals. In support of IMA’s call, we have asked  PHANA members to suspend OPD for 24 hours from 6 am on August 17. However, all emergency and life-saving services will remain fully operational to guarantee patient safety,” he said.

The Health Minister, who said a meeting of all stakeholders will be shortly convened to discuss safety measures for healthcare workers, said he has asked all heads of government hospitals to ensure that patients are not deprived of timely treatment. 

Expressing solidarity with the victims of the brutal crime and violence in R G Kar Medical College Kolkata, members of the Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) and Resident Doctors’ Association from NIMHANS staged demonstrations and candle march protests on Friday.