Outpatient departments in hospitals to be shut on Saturday across Karnataka

BENGALURU: Services in outpatient departments (OPD) of hospitals across the state will be affected for 24 hours from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has given a call for a shutting down OPD services on Saturday, but emergency and inpatient services will continue, said association state president Dr Srinivas. Those participating in the protest include private hospitals affiliated to PHANA, the government doctors’ association, paediatricians’ association, orthopaedics’ association and the medical college doctors’ association, he said.

“Emergency services will be availabe, and only OPDs will be shut. There are 30,000 doctors in the state and 1.5 lakh across the country who are member of the IMA and we have requested all of them to support the protest. We will assemble near the IMA state office and stage a protest”, Dr Srinivas said. Government doctors’ association president Vivek Dorai was also present.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, reacting to the planned protest, said, “The doctors have a right to express their opinion. I have already discussed with the principal secretary about what steps can be taken to ensure that the public are not affected. I have called a meeting with all the associations to discuss precautionary measures”.