JDA strike turns violent

SURAT, Oct 7: The month-long agitation of junior doctors for higher stipends took a violent turn in Jamnagar last night, when the Irwin H...

SURAT, Oct 7: The month-long agitation of junior doctors for higher stipends took a violent turn in Jamnagar last night, when the Irwin Hospital Superintendent Dr J J Oza was attacked at his residence allegedly by a mob of junior doctors. Oza has lodged a police complaint of rioting and assault against the agitating doctors; eight junior doctors were arrested.

Meanwhile, the fast-unto-death undertaken by their counterparts in Surat and Vadodara entered its third and second day respectively, with some Junior Doctors8217; Association members requiring attention.

In Jamnagar, where the police were called in in the wake of the assault on Oza, District Superintendent of Police Ajaykumar Tomar said strict bandobast had been made in the campus and eight junior doctors arrested in connection with the assault.

According to the JDA, the condition of four out of 10 doctors on hunger strike had deteriorated and, despite repeated phone calls by the dean, Oza had not bothered to visit them. The association further alleged that the police, in order to demoralise the agitators, had illegally taken over the campus and ransacked the camp of the agitating doctors at the behest of the state government.

In Surat, four junior doctors on hunger strike 8212; Dr Mahendra Parmar, Dr Avtar Singh, Dr Rajesh Parekh and Dr Nilay Desai 8212; were 8220;forcibly8221; admitted to hospital by the authorities under police protection. Their condition was said to be serious. The agitating doctors opposed the use of force by raising slogans against the authorities.

President of Surat JDA and All-Gujarat JDA Action Committee Pritu Dhalaria said though the agitating doctors were ready for negotiations, the state government, especially Health Minister Ashok Bhatt, seemed to be adamant on their stand and did not even bother to invite them to Gandhinagar.

He said the agitating doctors would again meetand could decide on calling Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel to settle the issue.

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If the health minister was not able to handle his portfolio or was not interested in hospital administration, he should resign, the agitating doctors said in a statement. The minister8217;s claim that civil hospitals in Surat, Vadodara and Jamnagar were running smoothly was far fetched, it added.