Srinagar/Jammu, Apr 5: The employees’ strike affected work in Government Medical College and their associated hospitals both in Srinagar and Jammu Monday.
“Around fifty to eighty surgeries had to be cancelled in associated hospitals of GMC Srinagar as paramedical staff is on strike. CT scan, MRI and other facilities were also hit by the strike,” a senior doctor told Greater Kashmir, on condition of anonymity.
In SMHS hospital patients and their attendants had to face tough time. The attendants of Kulsooma who was admitted in SMHS’s ward number 15 said, “In the morning doctor came here for a round and he changed the drip. There is no nurse available in the ward,” Kulsooma who is admitted under MRD No 477477.
Her views were echoed by another patient Rafiqa who was admitted under MRD No. 477900 in ward no. 1. “In the morning a nurse was rebuked by her colleagues when she tried to attend the patients. There is no one to take care of patients here,” she said.
 Dr Maymona who was on night shift in ward no 1 said, “We are ourselves taking care of the patients as the paramedical staff is on strike.”
 The work in out patients department also remained affected due to the strike. Similar reports were also received from other city hospitals.
 In Jammu also a large section of poor people, who get medical treatment of various ailment in the OPDs of their respective hospitals affiliated with the government medical college Jammu had to suffer a lot.
 Private clinics were busy making money since most of the hospitals in Jammu were found locked and no patient was checked in the OPDs. Eyewitnesses said that the some of the surgeries were postponed by the doctors in the absence of paramedics while long queues were seen at the emergency wards of the city government hospitals.
 Superintendent GMC hospital Romesh Gupta told Greater Kashmir that patients are being adequately checked at the emergencies by the doctors.
 Asked whether they have made any arrangements except emergency to check the patients since OPD has been closed, Gupta said that no such arrangement has been at the GMC hospital but patients are being checked at emergency.

STUDENTS PROTEST IN SOPUR
 Finding their educational institutions “locked” due to ongoing strike of the state government employees, the students held massive protest demonstrations in this north Kashmir apple town Monday.
 Disappointed after returning back without taking classes, the students of different educational institutions took to streets here raising slogans against the government.
 “Our future is being spoiled. Our precious time is being wasted due to frequent strikes,” they yelled, adding that they hardly get two to three months of teaching in a year, due to tense situation.
 “How much syllabus we would complete within this month. The government should make arrangements for us at whatever cost they have to do,” they said.
 The students staged dharna at Chankan bridge for more than an hour, blocking traffic en route.
 Following the protests, police and civil officials rushed to the spot and assured the protesting students that they would carry their concerns to the higher authorities. The students later dispersed off peacefully.
 Pertinent to mention, this town witnessed more than twenty days of strike in the first three months of this year.

(with inputs from Umer Maqbool Dar/Ghulam Muhammad)

Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST