After meeting Health Minister,striking doctors called off the rally

A resident doctors’ rally to demand higher stipend that was scheduled to be held from the VS Hospital to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Monday was called off after “the Health Minister assured the students that the government would take all necessary steps to address their issues,” according to Vivek Patel, representative of resident doctors.

According to Patel, five representatives reached the Circuit house in Gandhinagar yesterday evening where they met Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas and Health Secretary Ravi Saxena. Both Vyas and Saxena listened to the representatives till 1.00 am in the morning and assured them that the government would take necessary steps to address their issues.

The striking resident doctors, expressing satisfaction over the cordial talk with the minister, announced calling off the rally scheduled to be taken out around noon on Monday in Ahmedabad. However they are now demanding assurance from the government in writing. Resident doctors leader Vivek Patel said: “Until we get written assurance from the government, we would not rejoin our work and strike will continue. We have softened our stand in a gesture to the minister Vyas, as our talk with him was cordial enough.”

Background

It should be noted that the resident doctors in Gujarat’s government and civic hospitals are on strike for last 11 days. The government has suspended, terminated and deregistered hundreds of resident doctors during this period. The Health minister avoided meeting with the striking doctors at least thrice during last week indicating government’s tough stand on this issue. Before current strike, the resident doctors had gone on strike for twice and received hike in their stipend. Resident doctors are post graduate medical students who work in the government hospitals while studying. Presently a third year PG medical student(resident doctor or junior doctor) gets Rs 12,900 monthly stipend. The government spends crores of rupees to prepare one doctor from the tax payers money and also gives stipend. In self finance colleges, fees are as high as Rs 90 lakh for a course such as Orthopedic of Radiology and students don’t get stipend. Striking doctors have shown merciless attitude towards poorest of the poor patients who occupy government and civic hospital.