A strike by contract doctors left Forbesganj farmer Baidyanath Baitha (34) with a nerve-wracking experience when he took his expecting wife to the subdivisional hospital in town on Wednesday.
Around 800 doctors associated with the Contract Doctors' Association launched an indefinite strike across the state on Wednesday to demand regularisation of their services. Patna was not affected but the strike was felt in Forbesganj, Purnea and other places.
Baitha's wife Jhilmil Devi complained of labour pains and was taken to the hospital in Araria district. The couple were, however, shell-shocked to find no gynaecologist was around to deliver the baby. The health hub's two gynaecologists work on contract and had joined the strike.
Baitha said: "With no gynaecologist on duty, aA paediatrician and a cardiologist delivered the baby normally with the help of some nurses. I was continuously praying to God during the whole procedure. We did not have any other option but to depend on them."
A regular doctor at the sub-divisional hospital said: "There are five regular and five contract doctors at the hospital. Among the contract doctors on strike are the two gynaecologists. Doctors, including physicians and cardiologists, not expert in handling deliveries, were forced to take up the cases after the gynaecologists joined the strike. Twelve normal deliveries were conducted by these doctors with the help of nurses on Wednesday. All of us were very scared but we had no choice."
In Gopalganj district, at least 200km away from Araria, Mahendra Yadav, a 42-year-old injured in a road accident, reached Hathua Sub-Divisional Hospital in Gopalganj district but was taken to the Sadar Hospital. Again, because of the strike. "The contract doctors' strike has added to the troubles of people in Gopalganj district," said Brajendra Yadav, Mahendra's elder brother.
In Muzaffarpur, the strike led to scuffles between doctors and patients. For instance, Shivam Kumar, a student of bachelor of computer applications at Ramdayalu Singh College, alleged he was beaten up by a group of doctors at the outpatient department of Muzaffarpur Sadar Hospital after he objected to a medico sitting idle.Kumar went for an eye-check up but xxxx. Later Shivam lodged a complaint at the district magistrate's office and a probe was initiated.
Khwaja Jamal and Shuchismita Chakraborty
34 -year -old Baidnath Baitha took his wife Jhilmil Devi to Forbesganj Sub-Divisional Hospital on Wednesday morning soon after her labour pain started. Both Baidnath and Jhilmil were shell-shocked to not find any gynaecologist at the hospital when they reached the facility. Both the gynaecologists of the hospital had joined the indefinite strike called by contractual doctors association on Wednesday.
“We reached the hospital at around 11 AM. Only after reaching the hospital we got to know that the gynaecologists of the hospital had joined the strike but what happened with us later was very much scaring. A paediatrician and cardiologist conducted the delivery (normal one) of my wife with the help of some nurses. I was continuously praying to God during the whole procedure. We were helpless. We did not have any option rather to depend on the paeditricain and cardiologist of the hospital,� rued Baidnath Baitha, a farmer.
Around 800 contractual doctors associated with Contractual Doctors Association, on Wednesday went to an indefinite strike demanding regularization of their services. The effect of the strike was however not felt in the state capital, rather it was felt in the districts like Forbesganj, Katihar, Sheohar, Purnea among others.
A doctor of Sub-Divisional Hospital, Forbesganj, who did not join the strike, on the condition of anonymity said, “There are five regular and five contractual doctors at the sub-divisional hospital, Forbesganj. Among the five contractual doctors who have joined the indefinite strike are two lady doctors who happen to be the gynaecologists of the hospital. As both of the gynaecologists have gone on strike, doctors who are not expert in handling the delivery related cases including physician, cardiologist, surgeon and paeditrician were forced to take up the (delivery) cases. Today 12 normal deliveries  have been conducted by these doctors with the help of nurses. All of us were very much scared but we had no choice.� The doctor said that in case any serious delivery case had reached to the hospital, it would have been difficult for the hospital to take up the case,
42 Mahendra Yadav , who got injured in a road accident, reached Hathua Sub- Divisional Hospital in the Wednesday afternoon but he also did not receive  treatment there because there were no doctors present in hospital to take up his case because of the contractual doctors’ strike. Later Yadav was rushed to the Gopalgunj Sadar Hospital, which was around 20 KM away from the  Hathua Sub- Divisional Hospital, “The strike of the contractual doctors has really increased the troubles of the people of the Gopalgunj district. The distance between the primary health centres and the district hospital is  something between 10 to 20 KM. In case, some serious patient reaches to any PHC and there heshe is denied treatment over here, then it would time to take the patient to the sadar hospital and in the meanwhile the golden hour of treatment could also be lost, Brajendra Yadav, elder brother of the patient.
Dr. Piyush Kumar, a doctor of Hathua Sub-Divisional Hospital  and one of the contractual doctors in Gopalgunj district said, “Hathau Sub-Divisional Hopsital today referred many cases of road accidents to the other hospitals because of the strike of contractual doctors. However delivery cases were taken up by the senior doctors of the hospital, who have not joined the strike.�
Minor clash between doctors and the patients was reported from Muzaffarpur district during strike period. Many patients who visited the outpatient department of the Muzaffarpur Sadar Hospital  created a ruckus after they found no doctor in the OPD to address their problem.
Shivam Kumar, a student of BCA Course in Ramdayalu Singh College, claimed that he was beaten up by a group of doctors at Muzaffarpur Sadar Hopsital after he raised objection on a doctor sitting idle in OPD. Kumar went for his both eye â€"check up in the OPD of the hospital. Later Shivam lodged a complaint at  the district magistrate’s office regarding this matter and DM initiated a probe in this matter. Â
Both Brajesh Mehrotra, principal secretary, health department and Anand Kishore, secretary , health department could not be contacted despite several attempts.
Piyush Kumar, a doctor at the Hathua Sub-Divisional Hospital and one of the contract doctors in Gopalganj district, said: "The Hathua Sub-Divisional Hospital on Wednesday referred many cases of road accidents to other hospitals because of contract doctors' strike. Delivery cases were taken up by senior doctors who did not join the strike."
