Patient services at private hospitals across the city were severely hit on Monday, the first day of the 48-hour partial cease-work called by senior doctors in solidarity with their protesting junior colleagues.

Many OPDs were empty and hundreds of planned surgeries and other procedures were cancelled as doctors mostly attended to emergency cases at private hospitals.

Two associations of senior doctors — the Healthcare Professionals of Private Hospitals and the Federation of Medical Associations — had given a call for the partial cease-work across government and private hospitals from 6am on Monday till 6am on Wednesday.

The associations are demanding that the state government accede to the demands of the junior doctors, who have been protesting since the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

“The state government has so far been insensitive towards the demands of our junior colleagues. We demand that the government act now. The cease-work is also in support of the junior doctors who are fasting till death,” said a senior doctor.

Doctors at several private hospitals also took part in a token hunger strike from 9am till 9pm on Monday.

The shutdown of OPDs on the first day after the Puja holidays put many people in trouble.

An official at a private hospital said patients at some hospitals could only book OPD consultations on Thursday, a week after most OPD clinics closed for the Puja. The OPDs at some hospitals will remain closed on Wednesday because of Lakshmi Puja.

At Peerless Hospital, 92 patients turned up in the OPD on Monday. On the day after Dashami last year, the hospital had 250 patients.

The average daily footfall in OPD clinics at Peerless during non-festive periods is about 800.

“The turnout immediately after Durga Puja is usually low. But even by that standard, 92 is low,” said Sudipta Mitra, the chief executive of Peerless Hospital.

Ten surgeries and five other procedures, such as endoscopy, were performed on Monday, Mitra said.

At Belle Vue Clinic, 40 elective surgeries were cancelled, but 10 emergency surgeries were performed. “No patient turned up for OPD consultation,” said Pradip Tondon, the CEO of Belle Vue Clinic.

The CEO of a private hospital said the authorities met the doctors and requested them to ensure that patients were not sent back untreated. Most hospitals ensured that those who arrived received consultation in the emergency department, if not in the OPD.

At the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, 450 people turned up in the OPD, much less than the daily average footfall of 1,100.

“We performed 11 surgeries on Monday. Usually, between 35 and 40 surgeries are performed daily. We also performed 13 cath lab procedures, much less than the usual number, which varies between 35 and 40,” said an official at the hospital.

At Woodlands Hospital, 35 people turned up in the OPD, compared with the daily average of 350. Sixteen surgeries were cancelled.

“We performed threecath lab procedures and four surgeries. Sixteen surgeries were cancelled,” said anofficial.

“A couple of doctors came to their OPD clinics but no patient turned up. The few who came were redirected to the emergency,” said Rupak Barua, CEO and managing and director of Woodlands.

“The token pen-down was observed at all hospitals. Also, a large number of doctors took part in the token hunger strike,” said Kaushik Chaki, a member of the Joint Platform of Doctors.