Strike by medicos hit health service at VIMSAR

Healthcare services remained hit at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) as the strike called by Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) and house surgeons of the hospital entered into its sixth day today.
The JDA and house surgeons are agitating to press for their 10-point charter of demands including installation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine at the institute.
The agitating medicos sitting on a dharna in the hospital's premises since January 12 also gheraoed the office of VIMSAR superintendent yesterday to press for their demands.
"We have been on cease work. Though the patients are suffering, no step is being taken to fulfill our demands. We are fighting for the people and for development of VIMSAR," said JDA president Shankar Ramchandani.

"We will intensify our agitation if our demands are not met," he said, adding the health minister should visit VIMSAR and hold talks with the agitating medicos on their demands.
Admitting that the agitation has hit health services, VIMSAR superintendent L K Dash said steps were being taken to fulfill the medicos's demands.
The other demands include delegation of financial and administrative power to VIMSAR authority, shifting of female medicine ward to the new building, strengthening the security of the institution premises, round the clock water and electricity supply to operation theatre, labour room, SNCU, ICU, medicine wards and the hostels.

The agitators are also demanding increase in the library fund and the library staff for better teaching facilities and filling up of vacant teaching and non-teaching posts of the institution.