HYDERABAD: In a late night development, the Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) of Gandhi Hospital decided to call off their strike and continue their services following a meeting with health minister Etela Rajender. Around 500 junior doctors of Gandhi Hospital, including postgraduate students and interns, went on a strike to boycott all duties -- in both general and emergency wards -- demanding better security for doctors after the Tuesday incident. On Tuesday a junior doctor was beaten up by relatives of an infant who succumbed to its health complications while at the hospital.
After meeting the health minister, Gandhi Hospital JUDA said that since the government has agreed to their demand of providing better security with all proper measures for doctors by March 11, they are calling off the strike. However, the JUDA added that if the demands are not met by then, they will return to calling a strike and boycotting duties.
When contacted, Telangana Director of Medical Education, Dr K Ramesh Reddy said that 24 additional government security personnel have been assigned to ensure the safety of doctors in Gandhi Hospital.
Niloufer’s boycott of duties to continue Junior doctors at the Niloufer Hospital will however continue to boycott their duties -- at both general and emergency wards.
The Niloufer JUDA has said that it has a list of 13 demands and not just one of improving security like that of Gandhi Hospital. Until all the 13 demands are agreed to, they said they will not call off the strike.
Osmania General Hospital’s Junior Doctors Association is also expected to extend their support to Niloufer JUDA and serve a strike notice Friday. As the junior doctors of Gandhi and Niloufer hospitals tried to bring the State to its knees by boycotting all services, the patients’ experiences became excruciating considering junior doctors are essential manpower for cash-strapped government hospitals.