Doctors to continue strike despite termination notices

“We were ready to bring down our demand on stipend from Rs 45,000 to Rs 35,000 a month but the government refused to pay even that,” said Dr Anil Dudhabhate,general secretary of the central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).

“We have decided to go ahead with the strike,” he said,adding that the doctors are ready to face any consequences.

“A hike of Rs 6,000 to our present payscale is too less. We cannot run our houses with such meagre pay,” said Dr Jeevan Rajput,president of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).

Meanwhile,most hospitals wore a deserted look as the strike entered the fifth day. “Mumbai is the worst-affected,since a majority of striking doctors are from the city,including resident doctors of all the three BMC hospitals. In Pune and Nagpur,not all doctors have gone on strike. In Aurangabad,private and senior public doctors are managing the show,” said Bhushan Gagrani,principal secretary for medical education and drug supplies.

The state government was forced to take the bold step of terminating the resident doctors after Jan Manch,a citizen’s forum,filed a fresh writ petition with the Nagpur bench of the High Court against the striking doctors on Friday. Fearing contempt charges,the state issued the termination notices. “Now because of our action (issuing termination notices),they are no more our students. We will now convey it to Maharashtra University of Health Services (MUHS),which will take necessary actions and this would mean they will no longer be eligible for post-graduation,” said Gagrani.

Even as Gagrani insists on giving them more time to call back,the Directorate Medical Education and Research (DMER) is already planning to look for alternative plans as patients are the sufferers in this imbroglio. As a contingency plan for long run,the DMER is now thinking of appointing new doctors on ad hoc basis. “Every year out of 3,500 posts for resident doctors,3,000 are filled by these students seeking post-graduation. The rest 500 are filled on ad hoc basis. If the doctors continue to strike,we will advertise for ad hoc doctors,” said Dr Pravin Shinghare,deputy director,DMER.

With monsoon in full swing and influx of patients,the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals are affected badly. “The Indian Medical Association has come forward to help senior doctors at the BMC-run hospitals. Till Monday,senior doctors will hold the forte,we will then take stock of the situation and work out our plans accordingly,” said Manisha Mhaiskar,additional municipal commissioner.