HYDERABAD: Asserting that it has accepted majority of the demands of striking medicos, the Andhra Pradesh government today appealed to them to end their agitation.
"The government is fully sympathetic towards the agitated medical students. We have accepted 11 out of their 13 demands. The stipend has been hiked to over Rs 20,000. It is not fair to demand Rs 29,000 or Rs 39,000. At least now, they should now think with wisdom and end the agitation," state Medical Education Minister K Murali Mohan told reporters here.
He was speaking to reporters after emerging out from a meeting held by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy with the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to look into the issues of medicos.
State Primary Education Minister S Sailajanath, who is a member of the GoM, said the government accepted the first demand of regular payment of stipend by changing the treasury rules.
"The first demand is generally the most important demand. The most important and first demand of regular payment of stipend has been done by relaxing treasury rules. Totally 11 demands have been accepted," he said.
The doctors have been agitating since last month, with some of them holding indefinite fast, in support of their demands. They held talks with the government several times but did not end their stir.
The junior doctors began boycotting emergency services since Friday last which resulted in medical services getting affected in the government hospitals.
While news channels reported that several persons have died due to unavailability of medical services, the government and heads of some government hospitals said alternative arrangements have been made to ensure that the services were not interrupted.