DEHRADUN: Healthcare services were severely affected as hundreds of private doctors went for a complete shut-down on Friday in Dehradun. While most of the private hospitals opened their emergency services, private clinics remained closed for the entire day, putting additional burden on government hospitals.

A majority of private doctors kept their OPDs and hospitals closed as they are upset over the failure of the state government to introduce changes suggested by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, and forcing the doctors to opt for the Uttarakhand Healthcare Act. Many private hospitals discharged the patients who were showing signs of improvement.

Kaushal Garg, a resident of Dalanwala, who was visiting a private doctor, stated that his father was complaining of pain in heart since the previous night, so he brought him for check-up. But on reaching the doctor’s clinic, he came to know that the OPD was closed.

IMA state secretary, Dr DD Choudhury, said that the strike would continue until the government pays attention to their demands.

The IMA also demanded that the national and state health programs like Aysuhman Bharat and Atal Ayushman Yojana should be an optional feature and no clinical establishment act should force private doctors to adopt them.

Kailash Hospital, Shree Mahant Indresh Hospital, Combined Medical Institute (CMI) and Apollo Hospital had their OPD and emergency services functioning.

Talking about the rush in government hospitals in association with the strike, chief medical officer Dehradun, SK Gupta said that the situation was under control as the private doctors had already alerted the health department of the strike. He added that government hospitals have to submit a report to record as to how many patients with critical illness were turned away by private clinics due to the shut down. (TNN)