Patients had a tough time as health services at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences were hit following the doctors' strike to protest the removal of Institute's Director P Venugopal.

Later in the day, the Delhi high court stayed the dismissal.

The institute suspended its emergency services and OPDs of various departments functioned with a skeletal staff, with authorities admitting a few patients for treatment.

The striking doctors had opened a parallel OPD service at the institute and claimed to have treated 700 patients.

"We do not want the patients to suffer because of the strike so we decided to run a parallel OPD," senior resident doctor Anand Mishra said.

Meanwhile, the Institute has ordered a probe into the death of a heart patient who died within the AIIMS premises after he was allegedly turned down by the doctors citing the strike.

Image: A man carries a patient after getting him checked at the parallel out patients department (OPD) being run by striking doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

Text: PTI

Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images