Routine healthcare services at Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, were disrupted on Thursday as outpatient departments (OPDs) remained closed for a day as doctors and health department employees extended support to the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union’s state-wide agitation.
The PCMS Association had announced the one-day closure of OPDs in support of the agitation, saying its cadre had unanimously voted to participate as a mark of solidarity with other employee associations. The closure inconvenienced patients seeking routine consultations and follow-up treatment, with some forced to return without consultation. Civil surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur, district programme officers and health department employees participated in the protest at the hospital.
The hospital normally sees around 1,000 to 1,200 patients a day in its OPDs, while monthly footfall is around 35,000. patients who came for consultations, tests and follow-up visits faced inconvenience Although authorities had put up notices at multiple locations in advance about the August 27 closure.
