Hyderabad: Outpatient services and elective surgeries at Osmania General Hospital (OGH) were disrupted on Monday after medical students, interns and resident doctors launched an indefinite strike over long-pending infrastructure issues at the hospital and Osmania Medical College (OMC).
The protest was called by the Osmania Medical College Junior Doctors Association (OMC JUDA). Undergraduate medical students, interns, postgraduate residents and senior residents boycotted their regular duties and classes, demanding urgent action from the state health authorities.
Protesters began gathering on the hospital campus on Monday morning, raising slogans over what they described as the prolonged neglect of medical infrastructure at government teaching hospitals in Telangana.
Emergency services at OGH remained operational, with medical personnel continuing to treat patients in the casualty department.
Doctors Demand Infrastructure Improvements
The protesting students and doctors said deficiencies in hospital infrastructure were affecting patient care, clinical services and the quality of medical education.
OMC JUDA president Dr Narahari Chandrakanth Reddy called for immediate and time-bound measures to address the problems in medical colleges across Telangana.
The association said government teaching hospitals lacked adequate departmental facilities and essential clinical equipment. It also raised concerns about insufficient opportunities for students to gain practical clinical experience.
Delayed Aarogyasri Payments Raise Concerns
The association also highlighted delays in payments under the Aarogyasri health scheme to state-run teaching hospitals.
According to OMC JUDA members, the pending payments had contributed to financial constraints that limited hospital administrations' ability to carry out routine maintenance and improve medical facilities.
They alleged that infrastructure conditions had deteriorated over the past several years, affecting both healthcare delivery and medical training.
Strike Could Expand to Other Hospitals
OMC JUDA warned that the agitation could intensify if state health officials failed to address the demands promptly.
The association said individual junior doctors' associations at other government teaching hospitals could consider indefinite strikes at their respective institutions.
The duration of the strike and the extent of further disruptions will depend on the response from the state government and health authorities.
