Himachal: Patients face hardships as doctors' strike disrupts OPD, hospital services in Shimla

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 27 (ANI): Patients faced severe hardship at Himachal Pradesh's largest government hospital, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, after doctors began a strike on Saturday, disrupting OPD and other medical services.
Although most patients were discharged on Friday after resident doctors went on mass leave, OPD services were badly affected on Saturday. Indoor patients who continued to require treatment also faced difficulties, as a majority of doctors remained on strike.
Patients and their attendants visiting the hospital reported major inconvenience due to the acute shortage of doctors in the OPD.
Bhawani Dutt, a patient who travelled from Karsog in the Mandi district, said patients were suffering due to the strike.
"My name is Bhawani Dutt. I have come here from Karsog in Mandi district. There is a lot of difficulty here. Without doctors, patients are facing severe problems. We are suffering a lot. I consider this an unfortunate incident; it is painful. We humbly request both the government and the doctors to resolve this matter as soon as possible so that patients do not suffer," he told ANI.
Ravi Thakur, an attendant who accompanied a patient from the Bali Chowki area of Mandi district, said that while his patient was stable, others were facing serious issues.
"At present, my patient is fine, but there are very big problems here. Other patients are in difficulty. We want this strike to end so that people can get relief. Very few doctors are available to attend to patients," Thakur said.
Another patient, Jiya Lal, who came from the Sunni area of Shimla district and has been receiving treatment at IGMC for the past 15 years, shared his views on the situation.
"I have been taking treatment here for the last 15 years. I had an operation earlier and later even suffered from cancer. I hold people's behaviour responsible for this entire issue. Doctors are like God. For me, they have been very good. One should maintain good behaviour oneself. Doctors do not misbehave with us because our own behaviour is good," he said.
"I myself have undergone surgery. Doctors do so much work; they are like God. Some people behave badly. We want doctors to be reinstated quickly and those who misbehave should be punished. Only then will the strike end and patients will get relief," he added.
The strike has caused widespread disruption to healthcare services, with patients urging both the state government and protesting doctors to resolve the issue at the earliest and restore normal functioning at hospitals. (ANI)