Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

Darbhanga, Jan. 31: Lack of communication between the district unit of Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) and its counterpart in the state capital resulted in a five-hour strike at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) today.

About 450 junior doctors went on strike between 10am and 3pm, disrupting services at various departments at the premier health hub of the district.

A number of patients were left unattended to on the hospital premises. The junior doctors carry out most of the health services at emergency, surgery, pathology and outpatient departments at DMCH. As only senior doctors were working in the hospital, the patients had to face difficulties.

Those who had come to the hospital to undergo ultrasonography, X-Ray and several other tests had to wait in a long queue in the afternoon.

A patient, Manju Devi, said: “I had to wait for a long time for the ultrasound test. Fortunately, the senior doctors were present to take care of patients like me.”

The JDA had given a statewide strike call, but deferred it by three months last night after a meeting between principal health secretary Amarjeet Sinha and members of the association. Despite the decision by the Patna unit of the association, the Darbhanga unit of JDA went on strike at 10am as they were not informed about the decision.

“As the JDA told us that they would go on strike from 10am today, we had made an alternative arrangement and asked all senior doctors to come to duty so that health services were not affected in the hospital. During the strike period, all senior doctors, assistant professors, residents, heads of different departments. As a result, there was no major disruption,” the medical superintendent at DMCH, Dr Suraj Nayak, told The Telegraph.

In its three-point memorandum, the JDA had sought enhancement of stipend during postgraduate courses, senior residency scheme and an apology from health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Monday.

The government has decided to constitute an expert committee that would recommend the regulations for the residency scheme and hike in monthly stipend.