Protesting Junior Doctors start telemedicine service, attend to 500 patients on first day
Kolkata: Junior doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital reported treating approximately 500 patients through a newly launched telemedicine service on its first day. The service, named 'Abhaya Clinic,' was introduced by the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front to provide medical care amid their ongoing strike.
The junior doctors have been on cease-work since August 9 evening, hours after the body of a post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered, was found in the seminar room of the state-run facility. The agitation severely affected healthcare services.
According to the PTI report, West Bengal Junior Doctors Front on Friday announced that they would provide telemedicine services from Saturday. They named the service 'Abhaya (fearless) Clinic'.
A section of the media has been calling the deceased ‘Abhaya’ to avoid disclosing her real name. Identifying a rape victim is prohibited by the law.
The service began at 10 AM and concluded at around 2 PM, a member of the Front said.
The prescriptions given at 'Abhaya Clinic' have slogans - 'We Want Justice for RG Kar; Destruction of crime scene' - written on it in both Bengali and English, news agency PTI reported.
Four new SIM cards were registered for the purpose and the numbers were shared with everyone, one of the junior doctors said.
"After services at the Clinic began, patients started making phone calls and video calls on WhatsApp and informed us of their problems. The doctors prescribed medicines and sent the photo of the prescription to the patient on WhatsApp," he told PTI.
"There is no question of moving away from the path of agitation and will continue to demand justice for our sister. We will continue to work like this in the coming days till our demands are fulfilled," he said.
As per a media report in the TOI, '' Calls from patients with issues including skin, fever, hypertension and diabetes kept pouring in. We did not expect this kind of response as WBJUF announced the service launch very late on Friday night. We are happy that we are reconnecting with patients in our own way despite the agitation,'' said Aniket Mahata, a first-year PGT in Anaesthesiology.
The medical team had doctors undergoing training in various specialities, including gynaecology, medicine, dermatology, general surgery. Two interns and house staffers also assisted the team. “Even the patients said they were with us in our demand for justice. We are expecting bigger patient turnout in the coming days,'' said another PGT, who was part of the medical team.
Junior doctors have been agitating for the 22nd consecutive day following the death of the medic.
A Kolkata Police civic volunteer has been arrested in this crime which is now being probed by the CBI detectives.
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