The Hindu : Front Page : ESMA invoked against medicos

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 12, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

ESMA invoked against medicos

Special Correspondent

Medical college Principals asked to give attendance particulars to DME

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the striking junior doctors in the wake of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directions on Monday, and decided to recruit at least 1000 MBBS doctors on an ad hoc basis immediately.

The Principal Secretary, Health, I. V. Subba Rao, told presspersonsm on Monday that any junior doctor participating in the strike would be liable for action, including suspension. He said the Government would proceed against them as per Medical Council of India regulations. It had already filed a contempt of court petition against the AP Junior Doctors Association.

He said that based on the court's direction, Principals of the colleges had been asked to send the attendance particulars to the Director of Medical Education (DME) by Tuesday. The DME, in turn, would send a report to the Medical Council of India, which was empowered to take action against them.

Help sought

In order to provide all essential services in Government hospitals, as directed by the court, the Government had requested the AP Private Nursing Homes Association, the Indian Medical Association, Red Cross, Defence and ESI dispensaries and hospitals to make available their services. He said that walk-in interviews would be held by the DME from Tuesday at 11 a.m. to recruit doctors, including retired doctors.

The High Court had taken a serious view of the junior doctors ruling out the possibility of calling off their ongoing strike, and directed the Government to take the necessary steps to see that the functioning of the Government Hospitals was not affected.

About a hundred emotionally charged junior doctors took the unusual step of wearing black badges and sitting in the court hall where the Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice G. Chandraiah were hearing a petition.

Serious view

The petitioner, C. L. Venkat Rao, had sought a direction from the court to end the strike. The court asked the Advocate- General to move a contempt petition against the junior doctors.

Justice Bilal Nazki took serious exception to the junior doctors' presence in the court hall wearing black badges. They were asked to be removed. He lamented that the educated enlightened doctors were playing with lives of the poorer sections of the State. The judge said that the present agitation began on Saturday when the case was listed for Monday. It was a pressure tactic and the court was unable to appreciate it .

When the case was called on Monday morning counsel appearing for Junior Doctors was not present and the case was adjourned to 12 noon. At noon Nuty Rama Mohan Rao, counsel for junior doctors, informed the court that he was withdrawing from the court as he was not able to argue the case on behalf of the emotional youngsters. The bench said that he had to continue to assist the court.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section