Chandigarh: Patients turned away for two hours at PGI OPDs

Naina Mishra

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Chandigarh, March 25

Patients coming to the OPDs at the PGI were turned away from 8 am to 10 am as the PGI Contract Workers’ Union delayed calling off their proposed strike today.

Only 2,727 patients were examined during the day, 1,763 of them physically and 964 through tele-consultation. The footfall was 67 per cent less than a usual OPD day wherein over 8,500 patients visit the PGI.

Even though the Punjab and Haryana High Court had restrained the PGI Contract Workers’ Union from proceeding on strike and from disrupting or disturbing the functioning of the hospital yesterday, the union delayed the decision to call off the strike. The union, through a written communication to the PGI Director, informed him about its decision to call off the strike at 9.30 am today.

The institute carried out 83 surgeries — 57 elective and 26 emergency — till 4 pm today, which is 50 per cent less than the usual surgeries in a day. Dr Naveen Pandey, in-charge of the OPD Administration, said, “We had to turn away patients from 8 am to 10 am. Doctors and other staff had reached the OPDs at 8 am and we were all waiting for the workers to join in. Without the hospital attendants, sanitation attendants and security guards, it would not have been possible to run OPDs and carry out elective surgeries as these are scheduled early morning only. As soon as the first worker entered an OPD, we started the registration for the OPDs.”

Ashwani Munjal, chairman of the PGI Contract Workers’ Union, said, “We received the High Court order copy at about 8 pm and held a meeting at 9.30 pm at Sector 24. It was decided to call off the strike at 10 pm. We convinced the members to gather at 9 am and asked them to join their duties after briefing them about the orders of the High Court.”

Prof Ashok Kumar, official spokesperson for the PGI, said, “After receiving information, the normal functioning of the institute was resumed with outsourced workers reporting for duty. Even the timings of the registration were increased till 12.30 pm from the routine 10 am on usual days to facilitate the patients.”

He added, “The Administration had directed that patients should not put to inconvenience and accordingly necessary arrangements were made beforehand. Despite a little confusion in the morning hours till the outsourced workers resumed their duties, no untoward incident was reported and the situation was under control.”

As many as 3,000 employees had decided to hold a strike on March 25, pressing for the implementation of “equal work, equal pay”, holidays and service conditions on a par with similar category of workers employed directly by the PGI.

Institute sees 67% less footfall

Only 2,727 patients were examined during the day, 1,763 of them physically and 964 through tele-consultation. The footfall was 67% less than a usual OPD day wherein over 8,500 patients visit the PGI.