SGPGI resident doctors on indefinite strike over quota issue

Lucknow, May 19 (UNI) Supporting the countrywide agitation against reservation, resident doctors at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) today went on an indefinite strike demanding immediate withdrawal of the quota proposal for OBCs in higher education.

About 200 resident doctors boycotted the emergency and OPD services at the SGPGI leading to crippling of the medical services in the super-speciality hospital of North India.

Tomorrow they are expected to hold a massive demonstration in the state capital, where doctors from other parts of Uttar Pradesh and IIM students are likely to participate.

SGPGI resident doctors association president Amit Goel told UNI here the protest would be withdrawn only if the government recalled its proposal. ''Doctors will not compromise on any formula including the government's proposal to increase the number of seats.'' ''With such meagre facilities in technical institutes and medical colleges, doubling of seats would certainly affect the quality of education in the country,'' he cautioned.

Dr Goel claimed they had approached the IIM, Lucknow and other medical and technical institutes of UP and received positive signals from them. ''We are demanding complete roll back of the proposal.'' The doctor said there would be a massive protest rally in Lucknow Tomorrow, where doctors from several government hospitals and other colleges including IIM would come on street to highlight their grievances.

The SGPGI resident doctors had gone on a two-hour strike yesterday against the quota, but late last night decided to go for an indefinite strike.

Meanwhile functioning in other government hospitals in UP was normal although in some cities like Allahabad, Varanasi, Meerut and Kanpur doctors have staged protests against the new reservation policy.

In Varanasi, BHU doctors held a candle light procession in support of the anti-reservation agitation.

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