Jr doctors on indefinite strike against OBC quota

Vadodara, May 23 (UNI) As many as 400 junior doctors of premier SSG hospital and Baroda Medical College here today went on an indefinite strike, supporting the medicos' protest against the proposed 27 per cent OBC quotas in central educational institions.

Following the medicos' strike, health care services in different wards, particularly in the emergency sections of the SSG civil hospital were seriously affected.

The junior doctors, who had earlier organised dharnas, protest demonstrations, 72-hour token strike and also taken out motor-clycle rallies in the city to protest the Government's move, went on an indefinite strike from 1300 hrs today, as per a decision of the Junior Doctors' Association (JDA), which called an emergency meeting on the issue last night.

SSG hospital in-charge superintendent Dr R N Daveswar told UNI that due to shortage of manpower, they had deputed doctors from non-clinical branches.

Dr Daveswar said a meeting of all head of departments of the SSG hospital was convened to take stock of the situation for close co-ordination among all departments. So far, no section of the hospital or medical college has been closed down and all senior doctors had been put on maximum alert, he added.

Medical college dean Prof Kamal Pathan said since the junior doctors had decided not to man even the emergency department, they had made their own arrangement by pulling in staffs from other branches, and hoped that they would be able to manage the show even if the strike continued for a longer period.

Besides the junior doctors, nearly 300 intern doctors of the SSG hospital are already on strike since Sunday.

JDA president Dhiren Thakkar said they had no other option other than this as the Central government was taking its own time to resolve the issue. The decision of the association to go on strike was communicated to the hospital authorities in writing this morning only, Dr Thakkar said.

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