- Services at GMC affected
Bhopal: Junior doctors in Bhopal suspended their strike on Monday evening after a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla and the Medical Education Commissioner. The strike, which began at 9 am, continued until 5 pm before the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) announced that the agitation would be postponed until March 16.
The JDA said the meeting included a detailed and meaningful discussion on the pending demands of junior doctors, particularly the revision of stipends. Following the talks, the association decided to defer further protest to allow time for the government to address their concerns.
Hospital services disrupted, surgeries postponed
The one-day strike significantly affected services at Gandhi Medical College and Hamidia Hospital. Departments such as Gynaecology, including the PPTCT Counseling and Testing Centre, Fertility Clinic and ANC room, witnessed disruptions as junior doctors share major responsibilities alongside senior doctors.
Patients faced long waiting hours for treatment throughout the day. Many people who had arrived in the morning were forced to wait for extended periods for consultations and procedures.
Hospital data revealed that more than 20 surgeries scheduled for Monday had to be postponed due to the strike. On the previous working day, Friday, around 66 surgeries were conducted, including nearly 30 caesarean deliveries. By 6 pm on Monday, only 38 surgeries had been performed, including 18 caesarean sections. Hospital authorities said that caesarean deliveries continue round the clock and additional procedures could still take place overnight.
According to the JDA, a CPI-based stipend revision approved by the government was supposed to come into effect from April 1, 2025, but has yet to be implemented, leading to growing dissatisfaction among medicos.
