IMA strike gets mixed response in Uttar Pradesh

Govt hospitals functioned as usual while many pvt clinics remained closed till afternoon. Some hospitals postponed surgeries for the day

LUCKNOW: The strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) got a mixed response as many private health facilities remained closed since Friday morning.

Government hospitals functioned as usual. Covid care facilities were not affected by the strike. The Indian Medical Association had given the call for the daylong strike to protest against the permission granted to Ayurveda practitioners to conduct several surgical procedures.

“The decision to allow Ayurveda practitioners to do surgery can put lives at risk. Such a decision needs to be thought through again,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors.

Many patients, who were not aware of the strike, had to return home but were given another appointment by the hospital staff.

A majority of (single doctor) clinics remained closed till afternoon. Some hospitals postponed surgeries planned for the day. About 250 minor procedures on follow-up patients were also postponed in the state capital.

Lucknow has about 3,000 IMA members while there are about 21,000 in state.

“Our aim was not to trouble patients, but to give a message. Hence, all patients were given the next appointment and those who needed urgent consultancy or pathology reports were provided the same. If some hospitals ran OPD, they were not objected to,” said Dr PK Gupta, former president of the IMA-Lucknow.

On the other hand, Ayurveda practitioners said surgery was nothing new to Ayurveda.

“For 40 years, MS in Shalya (general surgery) and Shalakya (ENT) is being taught as part of the MS Ayurveda curriculum. Also, MD in Sangya Haran (anaesthesia) is there. How can someone say Ayurveda practitioners do not know surgery?” said Dr SK Pandey, an Ayurveda practitioner in Lucknow.

Dr Ashok Rai, president of IMA-Uttar Pradesh, said:

“The response from the western and the central region was very good as a majority of doctors abstained from running OPDs. In the eastern part of the state also, a good number of OPDs in clinics and hospitals remained closed.”