Safdarjung medicos on hungerstrike

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Over 300 medical students and some junior doctors of the Safdarjung Hospital went on hunger strike Tuesday to protest alleged lack of water supply, electricity and unhygenic conditions in the hostel.

The students of Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College (VMCC), the hospital’s medical college, complained they were without drinking water, lifts and air-conditioning for the past two months.
The students did a sit in protest outside the OPD (out patients department) of the Safdarjung Hospital. However, the strike did not affect functioning of the OPD, which is visited by 8,000 patients in a day. However, on Wednesday the patients will be affected as the senior resident doctors too have announced to join the strike.
“We have complained it to the college authorities many a times demanding functioning of air conditioners and lifts, supply of clean drinking water but none listened to us, so we resorted to strike,” Gaurav Kumar, a student leader said.
However, the hospital authorities said that they will fulfil the demands of the students. “We have promised the agitating students that their demands will be fulfilled,” a college official said.
However, the students did not withdraw the hungerstrike after this assurance. “We will take back strike only after our demands are fulfilled. We do not want assurances which the college authorities have been doing from the past two months,” Gaurav said.
The senior resident doctors are likely to join the strike too.
Karan Vats, another student leader, said, “The students fainted while writing their exam as there is no proper ventilation, no electricity in the hospital. So the senior resident doctors will also join the strike and the patients will be affected on Wednesday.”
The students association approached director general of health services R.K. Srivastava last month but there has been no change in the conditions. “The hungerstrike will go on till the health minister (Ghulam Nabi Azad) meets us and hears our grievances,” said Vats.