While OPD at Private Hospitals were Shut, Govt Wenlock Hospital came to the Rescue of Patients
Mangaluru: Thousands of private hospitals, diagnostic centres and clinics, including those in Mangaluru shut down shutters today, Monday, 17 June 2019 in protest against the attack on a junior doctor at NRC College & Hospital, Kolkota, and also attacks on doctors in other places in the past. While inpatient services (that is, continued treatment for those who are in hospitals), emergency cases and ambulance services not affected due to the strike, out-patient and diagnostics services in medical establishments RE closed for the day, as per the Mangaluru Chapter of Indian Medical Association. All branches of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had directed to ensure establishments of their members remain closed.
And one good news for the out-patients who couldn’t avail the services at private hospitals, Govt hospitals in Mangaluru, including Wenlock Hospital have come to their rescue and are ready to handle additional pressure. Patients in the city were seen crowded at the Wenlock Hospital for OP treatments. As per the clerk at Wenlock Hospital, the registration of the patients today was thrice more than the other days- and that all arrangements had been made with extra medical personnel to handle the mass.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Dr Julian Saldanha, the RMO at Wenlock said, ” On an average, the hospital receives around 1,000 patients in the outpatient facility, but today the numbers have increased twice or three times more until noon. But patients don’t have to worry- it could take a little extra time to treat each one of them, but we will see that everyone gets the treatment irrespective of rich or poor. We are here to provide good health care to the patients, and we will keep our commitment, no matter what. We have an excellent team of doctors and experienced nurses and staff, who are all ready to handle today’s patients, and we will do our best to provide the best treatment and service. But it’s a sad situation that doctors have to face attacks from the kith and kin of the patients, and for that Govt should come up with a stern law to punish the culprits, so that doctors can continue their duties without fear”.
Satish Poojary, a patient of a Private hospital after getting treated for his broken arm speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” I thought I could manage until tomorrow, but the pain was terrible. I had no option than to visit Govt Wenlock Hospital- even though I had to wait on the queue for some time, but it was worth the wait. I was taken good care by the two doctors and a nurse, and they even offered me a bottle of water, which you normally don’t get elsewhere. All this service was for free, you can’t beat that deal. I will go back to Wenlock for my next check-up. My sincere thanks to everyone at Wenlock, who helped me when I needed care”.