Mumbai: Govt employees on strike for OPS, hospitals are majorly affected

Patients at the State-run hospitals will be majorly affected if the strike by state government employees, which includes hospital staff, lingers, fears the medical fraternity.

These fears were voiced after doctors, nurses, technicians, clerical and the cleaning staff joined the ongoing indefinite strike which started on March 14 in solidarity with the demand for return of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). One of the State-run hospitals, Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy (JJ) hospital in Mumbai, is taking precautions to minimise the impact on patients.

“The hospital has deployed senior doctors, resident doctors and interns along with nursing students to ensure that all surgeries and outdoor patient departments run smoothly.

Moreover, help of nursing staff from civic-run medical colleges is also being taken,” said an official. The hospital is also planning to deploy cleaning employees on a contractual basis until the strike is over.

According to hospital officials, on an average, around 90 to 100 surgeries are performed every day at JJ hospital. On Tuesday and Wednesday, most of the scheduled surgeries were performed, and very few non-emergency surgeries were postponed.

“We held OPD and performed surgeries like on routine days. I took assistance from the BMC and we also asked for nursing support. We have contractual people for cleaning and sweeping, too,” JJ Hospital Dean Dr Pallavi Saple said.