Patient care severely disrupted at GMC Jammu as junior doctors’ strike enters second day

Srinagar, July 18: Patient care services at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), Jammu, have been severely disrupted on Thursday due to an ongoing strike by junior doctors over the alleged assault on two female doctors by a patient’s relative. The situation has raised concerns over patient safety and the continuity of care.

As the strike enters second consecutive day, it has crippled key services including outpatient care, in-patient treatment, and elective surgeries, while emergency services were being managed with difficulty by senior doctors and consultants, but the limited staff has put immense pressure on the system, raising concerns about patient safety

A standoff between the protesting doctors and the family of a deceased patient further escalated the tension, with both parties trading serious allegations. The resident doctors accused the patient’s kin of physically assaulting their colleagues, while the deceased’s family blamed the doctors for medical negligence, which they claim led to the death.

In a show of anger and solidarity, junior doctors staged a protest demonstration outside the Emergency Ward, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused attendant. Holding placards and raising slogans, the doctors asserted they would not resume duties until justice is delivered.

“Our colleagues were assaulted while discharging their duties. We demand immediate police action. Until the arrest is made, we will not return to work,” said one of the protesting doctors.

To manage the disruption, senior faculty members have stepped in to fill the operational vacuum. Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Principal and Dean of GMC Jammu, assured that the administration is doing everything possible to mitigate the crisis. “Our senior doctors are managing the hospital operations. We are prioritising emergency cases to ensure no critically ill patient suffers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Secretary of Health and Medical Education, convened a late-night meeting on Wednesday with representatives of the agitating doctors. He urged them to return to work in the interest of public health and assured them that strict legal action would be initiated against those found guilty. However, the doctors remained unmoved, insisting that no talks would progress until the accused was arrested.

As the strike drags on, hundreds of patients and their families are facing mounting inconvenience. Routine operations have been thrown into disarray, and with no arrest or breakthrough in talks reported till the last update, the stalemate threatens to prolong the disruption.

The situation has reignited debate over workplace safety for medical professionals and the urgent need for stronger security measures in government hospitals.