(EDs: Corrections in para 2,3)Jaipur, Nov 11 (PTI) Fourteen doctors have been arrestedin the state till this evening under the Rajasthan EssentialServices Maintenance Act (RESMA) as the deadlock between themand the government entered its sixth day.
The doctors were arrested from Tonk, Jaipur, Kota, SwaiMadhopur, Bharatpur, Jhalawar and Banswara districts, ADG (Lawand Order) NRK Reddy said.
The arrests came after the deadline set by the governmentfor the medical practitioners to resume work expired yesterdayevening, the officer said.
Yesterday, six doctors were arrested and today, eight,Reddy said, adding that 100 doctors have joined work to avoidarrest.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Health Minister Kali Charan Sarafcalled the agitating doctors for talks tomorrow at 2 pm tofind solutions to their problems.
A five-member delegation representing the doctors willmeet the minister and government officials, an officialrelease said.
"The state government has assured that doors for talksare open and it was committed to find solutions to theproblems," it said, adding that ample arrangements have beenmade so that health services are not affected.
The state's medical and health department also issued anotice today in newspapers to the agitating doctors, claimingthat the strike was against the high court's order.
The department had asked them to resume work by Friday.
One of the major demands of the doctors is for higher payscale and promotions.
Director of Public Health Dr V K Mathur said, "We aretrying to reach an amicable solution through talks."The presidents of the All Rajasthan In-Service DoctorsAssociation president, Dr Ajay Chaudhary, and the JaipurAssociation of Resident Doctors, Dr Ravi Jhakar, could not bereached for comments.
Saraf had yesterday held Chaudhary responsible for thestrike.
"Dr Chaudhary seems to have some personal interest... heis trying to create hurdles in breaking the deadlock. He isbeing guided by someone," the minister had alleged.
In Kota, 57 senior resident doctors today announced tojoin the statewide strike by tomorrow morning, a move thatcould hit services at the Kota Medical College and the MaharaoBheem Singh hospital, the biggest medical facilities of theregion.
However, medical college authorities have asked thedoctors, selected through the Rajasthan Public ServiceCommission (RPSC), to resume duty or face termination.
"It would hugely affect the medical and health servicesin hospitals in Kota as 57 senior residents, including 35 to37 from the clinical side are set to join the ongoing strikefrom tomorrow morning," said Dr Girish Verma, principal, KotaMedical College.
"We have asked the RPSC selected doctors, includingsenior residents, to resume duty immediately or facetermination," Verma said.
Senior resident doctors of the Jhalawar Medical College,however, have stayed away from joining the ongoing strike,while Dr Hariom Goyal today resumed duty at the governmenthospital in Baran district.
"We have not received any notice or information fromsenior residents regarding their joining the ongoing strike,"said Dr R K Asariya, Dean, Medical College Jhalawar.
More than 640 doctors in service and about 350 residentdoctors from the Kota region along with the others in thestate are on strike for last six days. PTI CORR AG ANBANB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.