Telangana junior doctors temporarily call off strike

Hyderabad, June 26 (IANS) Junior doctors working in government hospitals across Telangana, barring those serving in Osmania Hospital, temporarily called off their indefinite strike on Wednesday.

Following talks with the Director of Medical Education and the officials of the health department late on Tuesday night, Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) decided to call off the strike for now.

Leaders of T-JUDA said they would wait till Wednesday evening for the government to issue orders, accepting their demands. They warned that if the government failed to issue the GOs, they would resume the strike from Thursday.

The government assured T-JUDA that hostels for junior doctors will be built in Gandhi Hospital and Osmania Hospital. It also gave an assurance that funds would be released for the hostels.

However, junior doctors working in Osmania Hospital decided to continue the strike as the government had not given a categorical assurance on constructing a new building.

The medicos in Osmania Hospital continued their protest, demanding the government to build a new building for the hospital. Raising slogans, the junior doctors continued their sit-in on the hospital premises. They made it clear that they would not end the strike till the government issues an order to construct a new building.

The talks between T-JUDA leaders and Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr N Vani and other officials continued till late Tuesday night.

The officials gave an assurance on road repairs at Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal and the introduction of college buses.

The junior doctors had been boycotting outpatient services, elective surgeries, and ward duties. However, they were attending emergency duties.

The government had also given assurances on the demands for the establishment of a green channel for timely stipend disbursement, honorarium for super-speciality senior residents, and deployment of police personnel to prevent violence against doctors in hospitals.