DEHRADUN: Private medical practitioners in the state continued their strike for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, prompting the health department to direct government doctors to work overtime to manage the sudden spike in patients in government health centres. The government doctors have also been told not to take leaves.Dr S K Gupta, chief medical officer (Dehradun) said that government doctors in all CHCs, PHCs and hospitals in the state have been asked to do overtime when required.The private doctors are demanding changes in the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010. The law enacted by the central government provides for registration and regulation of all clinical establishments and prescribes minimum standards of facilities and services provided to the patients. The Act is intended to check charging of exorbitant amounts from patients and curbing of unethical practices by private medical clinics. The Uttarakhand government had passed the Act in 2016. But, it is yet to be enforced fully as the Indian Medical Association (Uttarakhand) has been pressing for an all new ‘Uttarakhand Health Establishment Act’ in its place. They are also demanding that alleged harassment of doctors under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PCPNDT) must be stopped.Dr D D Choudhury, state secretary, IMA, said that the strike would continue until the government gives in to their demands.As private doctors remained unavailable, government hospitals grappled with increased rush of patients.Dr K K Tamta, medical superintendent at Doon hospital, told TOI that patient numbers had increased by 30% since the strike.“I have asked doctors here to not to take leaves until the strike of private doctors is on,” he added.

Stay updated with all the Dehradun Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.