Hospital sees fall in daily outpatient numbers as doctors continue protest over stipend revision
VIJAYAWADA: Outpatient registrations at Government General Hospital (GGH), Vijayawada, have fallen by around 30% amid the ongoing strike by junior doctors over their demand for a revision in stipends. The figures cover both the new and old GGH facilities.
📉 OP registrations fall from around 3,000 to 2,000
According to hospital data reported by The Times of India, GGH was recording an average of approximately 3,000 OP registrations per day until August 16. After junior doctors began boycotting emergency services from August 17, the average dropped to around 2,000 patients a day — a decline of roughly 30%.
The hospital recorded about 2,210 OP registrations on August 21. Of these, 1,164 patients were admitted for inpatient treatment. The hospital also conducted 250 surgeries, including 220 at the new GGH and 30 at the old GGH, along with 16 deliveries, including normal and Caesarean deliveries.
👨⚕️ Junior doctors continue their strike
The protest is being led by the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA). Junior doctors are demanding a revision of their stipends, which they say has been pending since January 1, 2026.
APJUDA has sought a 15% stipend increase, citing the existing periodic-revision framework. The government has proposed a lower increase, resulting in continued disagreement between the two sides.
The agitation began with withdrawal of non-emergency services and later escalated to include emergency-related duties. The strike is being observed across government medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh, with around 9,000 resident doctors, interns, junior and senior residents and other doctors reported to be participating.
🏥 How GGH is managing services
With a significant number of junior doctors away from duties, Vijayawada GGH has been bringing in additional medical personnel to keep essential services running.
According to hospital sources, the GGH has been receiving support from:
- Around 10 doctors from private medical colleges
- 3 doctors from DCHS
- 8 doctors from DMHO
- 9 tutors from Siddhartha Medical College
Of approximately 630 junior doctors attached to the GGH, around 80 were reported to be attending services at the time of the report.
GGH Superintendent Dr G. Raghunandhan said the hospital was attempting to maintain emergency and inpatient services by deploying available staff and bringing in additional manpower from other institutions.
⚖️ High Court steps in
The issue also reached the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
On August 24, the High Court directed the State government to explain what measures were being taken to ensure that emergency medical services were not affected because of the junior doctors’ strike. The court also sought details about steps being taken to resolve the strike and restore normal hospital functioning.
The petition before the court raised concerns that emergency patients at government hospitals were facing significant delays. The State government said it was holding discussions with the striking doctors while taking measures to keep emergency services functioning.
🩺 Impact on surgeries and patients
The statewide strike has affected hospital services beyond Vijayawada. A report published on August 23 said that more than 2,500 major and minor surgeries had reportedly been postponed across Andhra Pradesh since August 18. Government hospitals have also reported delays in OP consultations and other routine services.
In Vijayawada, however, hospital authorities have continued efforts to prioritise non-elective surgeries and emergency care, while elective procedures may be scheduled after adequate staffing becomes available.