Mangaluru: Private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics suspended outpatient services in Dakshina Kannada supporting the State-wide bandh of private doctors called by the State chapter of the Indian Medical Association on Friday. The doctors opposed the move of the State government to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act (KPME) Act 2007.

Major hospitals in the city such as the Kasturba Medical College hospitals, Father Muller Medical College Hospital, AJ Hospital and Research Centre, Yenepoya Hospital, Unity Hospital, Omega Hospital, Tejasvini Hospital and other nursing homes closed down their outpatient departments.

On the outskirts of the city, the KS Hegde Medical College Hospital and the Yenepoya Hospital at Deralakatte shut operations in their OPDs. Many hospitals and nursing homes displayed boards outside their premises supporting the bandh.

However, there was rush in the Government Wenlock Hospital in the city for outpatient services. Annayya Kulal, co-ordinator, coastal division, Karnataka chapter of the IMA, told that the strike by doctors was a success. All private hospitals in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada supported the bandh.

Dr. Kulal said that the association had requested private specialist doctors to attend to emergency cases especially in the taluk headquarters in government hospitals, if there was a need. Ramakrishna Rao, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, said that his office did not receive any complaints from people on deficiency in services in government hospitals.

Meanwhile, members of the Dakshina Kannada chapter of the IMA, led by Raghavendra Bhat, met the Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S. and submitted him a memorandum. According to a statement from the Department of Information, the number of outpatients treated at the Wenlock Hospital went up to 1,360 on Friday from the usual 800-900.

The hospital conducted 23 surgeries and treated 71 emergency cases and admitted 121 persons as in-patients.

In the Government Lady Goschen Hospital here, doctors conducted 20 surgeries between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., against the usual 10 deliveries. Of the total deliveries conducted, seven were Caesarean. Of the total women, 13 had been admitted to the hospital on Friday following labour pain.