AIIMS Delhi, RML issue contingency plans amid strike over doctor’s rape-murder in Kolkata – ET HealthWorld

New Delhi: The AIIMS Delhi administration has prepared a contingency plan to ensure critical and other patient care services do not get affected due to the indefinite strike called by the resident doctors of the premier hospital against the recent rape and murder of a fellow doctor in Kolkata. Meanwhile, the administration of the RML Hospital here, another Centre-run facility, also issued an order asking all HODs to submit an action plan of their respective departments in view of the strike by the resident doctors’ association (RDA) that began around 9 am on Monday so that patient care services are minimally disrupted. “This plan should cover especially the OT services, OPDs, and ward areas,” the order read, asking HODS to submit the contingency plans by 10 am.

“The HODs are also required to ensure that their entire faculty must be present in the department by 9 am daily,” the order issued by Dr Ajay Shukla, the hospital’s Medical Superintendent said.

The RDA of AIIMS Delhi also joined the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) in its nationwide strike on Monday morning, suspending all elective and non-essential services, including OPDs and patient wards.

However, emergency care will continue to ensure critically ill patients do not suffer and receive treatment, Dr Raghunandan Dixit, General Secretary of AIIMS RDA said.

Apart from AIIMS Delhi and RML Hospital, resident doctors from multiple hospitals in Delhi, including Safdarjung Hospital, on Monday began an indefinite strike, suspending all elective services on Monday, in response to the recent rape and murder of a resident doctor in Kolkata.

According to the FORDA, during the strike, all outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres (OTs), and ward duties will be shut, but emergency services will continue to operate as usual, ensuring that urgent patient care remains unaffected.

The contingency plan issued by AIIMS Delhi Director Dr M Srinivas stated that emergency services will function normally as the resident doctors will “purportedly continue to work” in the emergency services as per their scheduled duties.

However, requisite consultation for emergency patients will be provided by the faculty-on-call of the clinical departments concerned supported by sponsored resident doctors, pool officers, resident doctors willing to work or research medical staff of the speciality department concerned, the document issued on Monday afternoon said.

The heads of different speciality departments have been directed to draw up appropriate plan or duty rosters to ensure timely consultation and treatment for emergency patients.

“Under no circumstances, any inpatient ward will function without physical availability of doctors of concerned speciality. All elective admissions will be stopped with immediate effect and only emergency admissions will be done till the time strike is called off,” the document said.

According to the contingency plan, the OPD services at AIIMS Delhi will function on a restricted basis from Monday until normalcy is restored.

Only those patients who are having prior appointment — new as well follow -up — will be registered in the morning OPDs.

For afternoon speciality clinics, only follow-up patients with prior appointment will be registered, the document said.

The OPD registration of all new patients will be restricted and will be done as per availability of doctors in the respective OPDs on a case-to-case basis.

Walk-in registration for OPD patients, new and old, will be restricted, it said.

Patient care service in inpatient (general and private) wards will continue to function as per discretion of the department concerned, the document said.

The administration has asked the heads of all clinical departments and units to make requisite arrangements for round-the-clock availability of doctors of the speciality concerned, according to the notification.

The inpatient ICU services will function normally as the resident doctors will “purportedly” continue to work as per their scheduled duties, it stated.

The labour room and maternity OT will remain functional, it added.

For routine OT services, patients will be taken up for surgery as per feasibility and mutual agreement between the faculty of surgery concerned and anaesthesiology department. Emergency cases will be taken up for surgical operations as per requirement.

According to the document, radio diagosis and lab diagnosis services will function on a restricted basis, to the maximum extent as feasible.

“Security services will function round the clock to prevent any untoward incident in the patient care and other hospital areas,” it read.

• Published On Aug 12, 2024 at 06:50 PM IST

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