The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Government doctors extend support to medicos’ strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 03, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Government doctors extend support to medicos’ strike

Staff Reporter

Grievances of students are genuine, says TNGDA

Members will wear black badges from Wednesday
They move will affect students who want to pursue higher studies

TIRUCHI: The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNGDA) has extended support to medical college students who are on strike protesting against the proposed mandatory rural service.

Stating that the grievances of the medicos were genuine, the association said that its members would wear black badges from Wednesday as a show of solidarity and to register their opposition to the move. The association unanimously adopted resolutions to this effect at its “urgent” State executive meeting held here on Sunday. Briefing reporters after the meeting, TNGDA State president S. Kanagasababathy said the association was opposed to the Centre’s move to increase the duration of the MBBS course by another year.

The association State secretary, K. Senthil, said the move would affect the students who wanted to pursue research and higher studies. Asking house surgeons without a degree, to serve in rural areas independently was nothing but a refined form of quackery, he said.

Dr. Kanagasababapathy said around 1,700 students were coming out every year from government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. Compulsory rural service could be implemented in needy States, and Tamil Nadu was far ahead than other States in health care.

He said the TNGDA and the Tamil Nadu branch of the Indian Medical Association would take up the issue at appropriate levels to get it stopped. Thanking Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for his support and sympathy for the cause, the association appealed to him to intervene and ensure that the proposal was not implemented in Tamil Nadu. Indian Medical Association Tamil Nadu Branch president N. Mohandas said the IMA supported the stand of the TNGDA.

Staff Reporter from

Madurai writes:

Members of the Madurai unit of Tamil Nadu Medical Students’ Association and House Surgeons’ Council resolved to continue their strike despite the warning from the Government. The agitators also went on a relay fast at the Government Rajaji Hospital on Sunday. “What if the Government closed colleges and hostels, nothing in this world will stop us from going on strike till our demands are met. Our representatives are discussing the future course of action,” said T. Rajan, a student organiser.

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