Doctors' indefinite strike enters day 4

Mumbai, Mar 02: The indefinite strike by resident doctors from 15 city-based hospitals entered the fourth day with medicos from five medical colleges from outside Mumbai expressing solidarity with their agitating colleagues today (Mar 02, 2006).

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) spokesperson Dr Nitin Gosavade said that resident doctors from five medical colleges outside Mumbai have joined the strike and two other colleges will join the strike later in the day.

Dr Gosavade said their meeting with the Health Minister and Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation authorities had remained unfruitful yesterday.

When contacted, KEM Hospital dean Dr Nilima Kshirsagar said senior doctors and head of departments were attending to the patients. Asked whether any action has been initiated against the striking doctors, she said no orders in this regard had been received.

With doctors from five medical colleges joining the stir today, the MARD has put the total number of doctors on strike at 5,000.

The doctors launched their strike after relatives of patients beat up two doctors, Dr Rohan Ainchwar and Dr Meena Parikh, at the KEM and Bhabha (Bandra) hospitals on Sunday. The doctors are demanding adequate security at the hospitals and have also demanded that backlog of vacancies be filled up.

UNI