MARD gets support from other states, to intensify agitation

Mumbai, Mar 5 (UNI) Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has decided to take the striking doctors agitation to national-level after it had received support from their colleagues in six other states.

MARD spokesperson Dr Yoganand Patil told UNI that doctors in Delhi had already been working by wearing the ''black batches'' on their aprons. The association had also received letters of support from Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Kerala's doctor associations.

Dr Patil said, ''Now, we are planning to do the nationwide agitation after consulting the representatives of other states.

Thereafter, we will announce the date of ''nation-wide agitation.'' He said so far the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have issued termination notices to 730 doctors across the state. While BMC has issued 150 notices, the government has issued notices to 270 resident doctors of J J hospital and 310 of Sassoon Hospital in Pune.

''Even as the strike has entered into the seventh day today, we will continue our agitation till the government gives us in black and white,'' he said.

''State Higher Education Minister Dilip Valse-Patil has verbally agreed to consider their demands, but we want it in writing because since 1988 we are getting verbal assurances from the government.

Once we get it in writing, we would call-off the strike,'' he added.

The 3,073 striking doctors are demanding for increased stipend, filling-up the backlog of doctors, provision of adequate security, decrease in their fees and modifications in the teaching system.

The doctors went on strike on Monday after relatives of some patients beat up two doctors--Dr Rohan Ainchwar and Dr Meena Parikh-- at the KEM and Bhabha (Bandra) hospitals respectively on Sunday.

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