The Hindu : Front Page : Medicos call off stir `in protest'

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Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

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Medicos call off stir `in protest'

Special Correspondent

Decision comes after undertaking to court but APJUDA leaders breathe defiance

HYDERABAD: Softening their stand, striking junior doctors have decided to resume duties from Thursday morning.

In a late night development on Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) leaders after consulting lawyers decided to rejoin duties and put in more hours of work as a `mark of protest.'

One of the association leaders said the doctors would attend to all duties. The protest would continue in Government hospitals for next 10 days.

Earlier, office-bearers of the APJUDA gave an undertaking to the High Court that medicos would report for duties from Thursday.The High Court on Wednesday recorded the statement made on behalf of the APJUDA. The court adjourned the case to Monday and declared that it would look into the issues raised by doctors. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice G. Chandraiah were dealing with a public interest litigation which sought to end the strike.

Immediately after the court's directive, the APJUDA organised meetings in all Government medical colleges across the State to take stock of the situation. The APJUDA president, B. R. Suresh Babu, and other leaders were huddled in an emergency meeting at Osmania Medical College (OMC).

Later addressing medicos, the leaders explained in detail the developments in the court. After lengthy deliberations, the unanimous opinion expressed by junior doctors was that the stir should continue till the demands were fulfilled.

The APJUDA general secretary, U. Krishnam Raju, and other leaders told reporters that junior doctors had not called off the strike, as was being reported by the electronic media. He made it clear that medicos were firm on continuing the strike. "Ours is people's health revolution for better health facilities. We are ready to face the consequences," Dr. Krishnam Raju said. "We have not received the court's interim orders so far," he pointed out. The junior doctors were very particular about the order in wake of last year's experience, he added.

Breathing defiance, the APJUDA leaders said each and every medico was firm that the strike should continue. "We are taking legal opinion on changing the course of the agitation to avoid legal complications," Dr. Krishnam Raju said. He also denied the charge that patient care was badly affected due to the strike.

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