Junior doctors’ protest enters eighth day at KGH

The protest by members of the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) entered its eighth day on Tuesday, with junior doctors continuing their agitation at King George Hospital (KGH) here, demanding that the State government address their long-pending demands, including the revision of their stipend.

The continued agitation has had a partial impact on healthcare services at the hospital. However, the KGH administration said it had made alternative arrangements by deploying additional staff, postgraduate students and senior doctors to ensure that essential medical services were not disrupted.

The administration said special attention was being given to emergency services, with priority accorded to patients requiring immediate medical attention. KGH receives an average of about 130 emergency cases a day, and officials said efforts were being made to ensure that these services remained unaffected.

However, sources at KGH said the number of minor and major surgeries and deliveries had declined since Monday following the intensification of the junior doctors’ agitation.

The APJUDA began its phased strike on August 11, demanding a revision of the stipend, which has been pending since January 1, 2026. The agitation initially involved a time-bound withdrawal of non-emergency services.

However, despite several rounds of talks with the State government, the issue remained unresolved, prompting the junior doctors to intensify their protest.

As part of the intensified agitation, junior doctors began withdrawing from emergency services from August 17, including duties in intensive care units, casualty wards and labour rooms at government medical colleges and teaching hospitals across Andhra Pradesh.

The administration said it was taking all necessary steps to minimise the impact of the agitation on patients and maintain essential healthcare services.