Amid PCMSA’s strike, experts from medical colleges roped in for OPD services

Amid the statewide suspension of the outpatient department (OPD) services by 25,000 doctors, the Punjab government on Friday called in experts from the medical education department to manage the OPD services in the district and sub-divisional hospitals. The state government has deployed the protesting members of the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) on emergency duties to refrain them from holding protests.
Doctors from the state’s four government medical colleges in Mohali, Patiala, Faridkot and Amritsar under the medical education department have already been assigned to various districts to ensure OPD services remain functional.
The health department has also directed the civil surgeons to divert patients requiring outpatient care to the nearest Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs).
The demands for which the PCMS doctors are on strike include reinstatement of the assured career progression scheme that ensures financial benefits and a higher pay scale to government employees, better security for healthcare workers, timely recruitment of medical officers (MOs) and release of pending Central Pay Commission (CPC) arrears.
The directives from the director of health services to civil surgeons has outlined the government’s intention, stating, “Emergency services should be strengthened by deputing more emergency medical officers and specialists at the district and sub-divisional hospitals.” The letter has also advised the use of MOs and specialists under the National Health Mission (NHM) to maintain services, instructing the staff to send patients to AACs for OPD care.
The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has criticised the move of engaging the doctors of medical education. Many are calling it a desperate attempt to undermine the protest. PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin reaffirmed that the strike would continue.
The OPD services remained suspended throughout the day on Saturday.
Punjab health and medical education minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “We have agreed to their demands. We need some time to implement the same. Doctors should return to their duties, especially as dengue and swine flu cases are rising.”
“We are trying our best to run the OPD services starting tomorrow in major district and sub-divisional hospitals in the state. If required, we will also rope in doctors from the Railways. We won’t let the people of Punjab suffer,” the minister added.
Later in the evening, the minister called the PCMSA for a meeting to discuss their demands on Saturday afternoon.
As per the government orders, experts from the Government Medical College (GMC) of Patiala have been deployed in the districts of Barnala, Mansa, Malerkotla, Patiala and Sangrur for OPD services. Amritsar GMC will cover the districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Pathankot and Tarn Taran. Similarly, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College in Faridkot will send doctors to sub-divisional and district hospitals in Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga and Muktsar.
Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences in Mohali will provide services in Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar and SBS Nagar.
Before disrupting the OPD services fully beginning September 12, the PCMSA had suspended the same for three hours (8 am to 11 am) from September 9 to 11 in all district, sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres.