Anti-quota stir; medicos ceasework enters one week

Bhubaneswar, May 19 (UNI) The indefinite ceasework by the Medical students and junior doctors in all the three government-run Medical Colleges in Orissa to protest against the proposed 27 per cent reservation for the OBC in higher educational institutions continued with no solution in sight.

Health services in the SCB Medical College, Cuttack, VSS Medical College, Burla and MKCG Medical College in Berhampur were affected badly as the striking doctors had resorted to dharna in support of the demand almost paralysing the casualty.

Students of some technical institutions including National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) Berhampur, GIET Gunupur, NIT Rourkela and the local units of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Orissa Medical Teachers Association (OMTA) have extended their support to the striking doctors of the MKCG Medical College in Berhampur.

The student leaders today announced that they would come to the streets after the summer vacation if the Centre did not roll back the reservation for the OBC.

Orissa Medical Teachers Association(OMTA) President Dr.Uma Mishra while extending support to the agitating medicos justified the ongoing anti-reservation agitation.

The striking medicos of SCB Medical College at Cuttack today took strong exception to the remark of the newly inducted Health Minister Duryadhan Majhi justifying the reservation for the OBC.

In a fax message the students leaders had sought a clarification from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as to whether the statement given by the Health Minister was his personal view or the observation of the government.

In the wake of the gravity of the situation, the authorities today deputed nine doctors of City Hospital at Cuttack to the S C B Medical College to treat the patients.

Interestingly many striking medicos, who belonged to OBC, had come out against the reservations.

UNI DP SJC YA RK1910