THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The doctors strike at the state’s medical colleges has hit the patients very badly. The functioning of the medical colleges has come to a standstill after the house surgeons also announced strike. The surgeries have been postponed and the OP have been disrupted. The patients are being sent back in many hospitals.

Only less than half of the doctors are there in the OP of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. PG doctors are boycotting emergency services including casualty on the fourth consecutive day. The house surgeons have announced a 24-hour strike from 8 am today.

The strike is being staged voicing a number of demands including reducing the workload by appointing more doctors and reforming the stipend. The government’s stand is their demands have been accepted and that no discussions will be held.