Doctors prepare for Himachal Bandh tomorrow

Shimla, May 24 (UNI) Doctors and medical college students of of Himachal Pradesh will observe a bandh tomorrow against the Central government's decision to reserve 27 per cent seats for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

''All medical services in the state will remain paralysed tomorrow due to the strike and even private clinics will remain closed from 1000 hrs to 1300 hrs in support of the striking medical students,'' Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) spokesman said here.

He said the teachers association of the IGMC, Dr R P Government Medical at Tanda and HP Government Dental College have also decided to extend their support to the strike which was called by the Indira Gandhi Medical college, Dr R P Government Medical College, Rajiv Gandhi Ayurveda College Paprola and six other medical colleges In all 22 organisations, including the local Beopar Mandal, Sood Sabha, Bar Council and senior citizen organisation, have also extended their support to the strike, he said.

The spokesman said members of all the organisations would participate in tomorrow's rally being organised by the student medical colleges of the state.

The striking students and the organisations would also seek an audience with Railway Minister Lalu Prasad who is likely to be in Shimla tomorrow, he said.

Resident Doctors Association (RDA) President Rajesh Sood said the medical students and the association members would hold a meeting tomorrow to chalk out its future course of action against the central government's proposal.

He said the RDA were also organising paralle OPDs and over 400 patients were examined during the day today, adding that this was besides the 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs emergency services being run by the doctors in the IGMC.

The HP anti-reservation cell has called upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter and said the policy was hurting the interests of the general students.

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