Patna: The strike by junior doctors of the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) since July 11 night has so far claimed three lives, even as the functioning of almost all the departments, including the emergency and paediatrics ward, remained paralysed on July 13.

Though the PMCH superintendent Dr A P Singh claimed that out patient department (OPD) functioned normally with the help of senior doctors, he admitted that the emergency and paediatrics wards were affected due to junior doctors' strike.

Singh said talks were on with the striking doctors and expressed hope that they would return to their duties as most of their genuine demands had been conceded.

The junior doctors had gone on strike when one of their colleagues Dr Pradeep Kumar was assaulted by a fourth grade employee and his associates on July 11 evening, in which his hand was fractured.

Singh said the hospital management had conceded most of the demands of junior doctors, including deployment of three sections of police on the PMCH campus.

He said hospital management was also seriously considering setting up a town police outpost on the hospital campus. A campaign to flush out anti-socials from the campus with the help of the police would also be launched, the superintendent said and appealed to the doctors to return to their duties in the larger interest of suffering people.

On the other hand, the striking doctors threatened to continue their agitation if the administration failed to provide foolproof security to them and also demanded compensation to Dr Kumar.

The indoor wards of various departments including medicine, surgery and gynaecology, wore a deserted look as no new patient was admitted and majority of the old ones left the hospital for treatment elsewhere.

PTI