Striking doctors meet Valse-Patil, demand more security

Mumbai, Mar 1 (UNI) A delegation of city's striking doctors, led by Shrikant Pandit of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), today met Higher and Technical Education Minister Dilip Valse-Patil and demanded that the resident doctors be given more security.

The Minister assured that their demand for provision of security on par with a public servant could be considered and urged them to withdraw the strike.

He said that the hospital services could not be jeopardised due to strike.

The Minister also said that a four-member committee had been appointed yesterday to look into MARD demands and a compromise formula would soon be worked out.

The delegation told Mr Valse-Patil that if their demand for security was fulfilled, they would convey their decision about withdrawing strike soon.

Over 2,500 resident doctors from 15 state government and BMC-run hospitals went on an indefinite strike from Monday evening after two doctors were allegedly beaten up by some relatives of the patients.

Sources said the MARD delegation demanded that security personnel be given more powers in view of frequent incidents of attacks on doctors by the relatives of the patients.

The Minister also assured that the government would make efforts to reduce the working hours.

To the MARD demand for increasing the stipend from present Rs 8,900 to Rs 18,000, Mr Valse-Patil said this proposal should be put before the cabinet and added that it could be considerd in three months time.

Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Dr Vimal Mundada has expressed readiness that the doctors from rural hospitals in the state would be deployed in the metropolis' hospitals, if required.

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