Patna, March 27 Doctors across government hospitals in Bihar began a three-day strike from Thursday, leading to the closure of Outpatient Department (OPD) services across the state over failure of the government to respond to their concerns over salaries, safety and staff shortage, among other issues.
The strike is expected to cause significant distress to patients, particularly those from rural areas who depend on government healthcare facilities.
The strike was called by the Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) in protest against issues such as biometric attendance, administrative harassment, and staff shortages.
However, the strike is limited to OPD closure and emergency and trauma services will continue to operate as usual.
According to Dr. Vinay Kumar, spokesperson for BHSA, repeated appeals to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government over critical issues, including the safety of doctors, salary concerns, posting in home districts and lack of basic facilities, have gone unanswered.
"The government has remained silent on our demands, forcing doctors to boycott work. We have decided to strike for three days from Thursday," Dr. Kumar said.
Doctors also cited an incident in Sheohar, where they were allegedly mistreated during a meeting with a District Magistrate, leading to further frustration.
The strike has led to the suspension of OPD services in all medical colleges, Sadar hospitals, referral hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in all 38 districts of Bihar.
Patients with prior appointments for surgeries and treatments will either need to reschedule or have their appointments adjusted once the strike ends.
"Poor patients, especially those from rural areas, will be the most affected as they cannot afford private healthcare," a hospital official stated.
The BHSA has warned that if the government fails to find a concrete solution by March 29, the strike could escalate further.
"If our demands are not met, we will intensify the strike in the state," Dr. Kumar added.
With government hospitals being a lifeline for rural healthcare, the ongoing strike has raised concerns about access to essential medical services for the economically weaker sections.
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