Ahmedabad, August 04: The protesting resident doctors called off their strike on the 14th day of their state-wide agitation.
Dr Vivek Patel, media committee member, Gujarat Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) said the strike has been called off as the government has given a written assurance to look into their demands .
Earlier today evening, the core committee members of GARD had their second round of meeting with state Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas. The core committee members met Vyas in the presence of president of the Indian Medical Council Executive Committee member Dr Ketan Desai and a consensus was reached to call off the strike.
But within an hour of the meeting the doctors said they will continue with the strike, as the government has not given them any written assurances. The members had earlier met Vyas late on Sunday evening when the agenda was decided.
At Monday’s meeting, the medicos had agreed to rejoin duty after the government assured them of the restoration of their registration. The state government too, in order to facilitate the rejoining of outstation resident doctors, at present camping in Ahmedabad, allowed them to complete the formalities at the office of the dean of B J Medical College.
Vyas had said: “We have reached an understanding with the resident doctors and the core committee members have promised to rejoin duty immediately. We will withdraw all preventive measures taken and have promised to maintain the status quo. The de-registration of the doctors will be cancelled and we will request Gujarat University to facilitate the restoration of their registration.”
He added: “We have also promised to hasten up the decision making process of the special committee. It will now make a decision in a month’s time and the entire process will end within one-and-a-half months. By mid-September the decision should be processed by the government.”
But, soon after, GARD members had said that the mass decision of the agitating doctors is to continue with the strike, as the government has not given any assurances in writing.
Dr Vivek Patel said: “We have decided not to repeat the mistake we had committed in March when we had called off the strike.”
The strike was finally called off late on Monday.
–Agencies