The ongoing statewide doctors’ strike that started on October 11 has led to a never seen before situation at Aundh Civil Hospital, a 1:1 doctor to patient ratio.
With 19 admitted patients and a team of 13 contractual and six doctors borrowed from the school health programme, the doctors are left with practically no work to do.
Dr Nitin Bilolikar, chief medical officer said that as compared to 150 patients admitted on an average, the hospital is deserted.
“Besides doctors, we have a huge nursing staff and ward boys. They are coming to work but there is nothing to do as no new patients are getting admitted. They are forced to kill time and go home,” he said.
On Saturday, however, things improved at the outpatient department where 44 patients were treated as compared to six the previous day. “Yet that’s not much compared to the 500-plus OPD that we see normally,” added Bilolikar.
For the first time since the strike began, a post-mortem was conducted at the hospital.
However, the hospital administration is worried as there were no signs of the strike being called off.
