The Hindu : National : Medicos welcome court appeal but seek written assurance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 30, 2006

National

National

Medicos welcome court appeal but seek written assurance

Special Correspondent

A softening of stand by medicos?

NEW DELHI: The Government said it had gone the full distance trying to meet the concerns of the agitating doctors and medical students, and left it to them to make the next move. There were no negotiations between the Government and the doctors on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's observation that the medicos call off their strike appeared to have made them soften their stand. They said they would consider "positively" the apex Court's observation if it came through the Government.

The Prime Minister on Sunday made an "honest, transparent and a personal effort" to the medicos by offering the eight-point new draft proposal on quota that included examining the demand for setting up an expert committee to review the reservation policy which was turned down by the students, official sources said. The students who have been changing goal-posts, sources added.

The matter is now with the judiciary and the Delhi High Court will hear on June 1 a petition that seeks barring doctors from going on strike, which should take care of the situation, sources said. There were no negotiations between the Government and the doctors on Monday.

"We welcome and respect the Supreme Court observation but will take a decision only when these [the observations] reach us in writing," said Vinod Patra, president of the AIIMS Resident Doctors Association. However, there was talk that the students could suspend their strike for eight weeks if the Government approached them now.

However, the medical fraternity is gearing for a total shutdown on Wednesday as private hospitals, health institutes and small clinics will remain closed.

The pro-reservation Medicos Forum for Equal Opportunities said the Government's attitude only cast a doubt over the implementation of the quota and raised questions regarding its true intentions with respect to the reservation policy. There seemed to be a conspiracy of silence, both on the part of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences Director and the Prime Minister's Office, in allowing the leadership of the anti-reservation agitation to act with impunity, Vikas Bajpai, convenor of the forum, said in a statement.

Even though the Government announced an increase in seats, the doctors continue their agitation pressing for a commission to review the reservation policy, Dr. Bajpai said.

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