New Delhi:
Over 300 students affiliated to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi went on a hunger strike, protesting against "lack" of basic facilities inside college and hostel premises, but medical services remained by and large unaffected on Tuesday.
The hospital authorities, however, fear the services will be affected with resident doctors, actively involved in patient care, threatening to join the strike.
"Our demands have not been met yet. Basic facilities like water, ceiling fan, water cooler and clean toilet are lacking in the hostel," Karan, an MBBS student, who took part in the strike, said.
This is the second time in the past one month that the students have gone on a strike. On May 3, the students had staged a road blockade on Ring Road to demand basic infrastructure facilities.
Meanwhile, resident doctors threatened to join the protest if the authorities fail to meet demands of the MBBS students.
"We will join the medical students in their strike if their demands are not met," Resident Doctor Association President Dr Chandra Bhan said.
Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr N K Mohanty asked the resident doctors not to join the strike as "it will affect patient care. If they do it, strict action as per the rules and regulations will be initiated."
Earlier, the agitators blocked the main OPD after failing to get any response from the administration.
"Till date no initiative has been taken from their side. As such we had to go on strike," a student said.
"Due to unavailability of clean water many of our students were diagnosed with jaundice. Many have developed breathing problem as the hostel is located close to a solid waste dumping ground. Any fire there and smoke coming from it makes it unbearable to remain in the room," he said.
A visit to the hostel and college premises will tell it all. Unclean toilets, broken floors and water clogging are the few things that one might get to see as one enters the premises, he said.
"Due to this one of our student fainted," another student said.