Docs go on strike over stipend issue

While junior doctors in other parts of the state have gone on a strike to seek a raise in their stipend, the Junior Doctors8217; Associations JDAs in Ahmedabad has not joined the protests as yet.

To decide next step after health minister8217;s response to their representation

While junior doctors in other parts of the state have gone on a strike to seek a raise in their stipend, the Junior Doctors8217; Associations JDAs in Ahmedabad has not joined the protests as yet.

Meanwhile, work in government hospitals in Surat, Rajkot, and other parts of Saurashtra was affected as most junior doctors went on a 24-hour strike.

The doctors are demanding a rise in their stipend as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

A JDA member of the VS Hospital in Ahmedabad said the association was trying to persuade all other associations of the junior doctors in the state to call off the strike for the time being.

The JDAs of the Civil Hospital and the VS hospital in Ahmedabad have decided not to go on strike as they have made a representation in the matter to the health minister and are awaiting an official response.

The association members believe the authorities will make their stand clear in a meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

Kishore Damore, the President of the Junior

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Doctors8217; Association in the city8217;s Civil Hospital, said: 8220;We have made a representation and are waiting for the authorities8217; response. Till then, we are definitely not going on a strike. Our further action will depend on the health minister8217;s response.8221;

However, in Rajkot, more than 1,500 outdoor patients were affected on Friday as resident doctors at Rajkot Civil Hospital observed a 24-hour strike to protest against the inadequate stipend paid to them by the state government.

Junior doctors from Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Surendranagar also supported the strike and refrained from attending to the hospital work.

As more than 50 doctors in Rajkot did not attend to their duties, the OPDs of various departments were affected.

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The resident doctors said the stipend paid to them by the Gujarat Government was much less that what their counterparts received in other states like UP, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Meanwhile in Surat, hundreds of resident doctors of the New Civil Hospital went on a one-day strike.

More than 200 resident doctors of the hospital took out a rally from the new Civil Hospital to Majurgate and handed over a memorandum to the district collector Dilip Rawal.

The Secretary of the JDA, Surat, Deepak Solanki, said, 8220;At present, a medical student pursuing a diploma course is paid a stipend of Rs 5000 while a student of the degree course is paid Rs 9,600.8221;