Nation-wide medical Bandh tomorrow

New Delhi, May 24 (UNI) Several state units of the the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will observe a nation-wide medical bandh tomorrow, in opposition to the government's move to implement 27 per cent OBC reservation in higher educational institutions.

Almost all state units of the IMA, including Punjab, Gujarat, Orissa and Haryana, have confirmed the work boycott in their respective states.

Even private hospitals are likely join the protest in support of the anti-reservation agitation.

IMA General Secretary Vinay Aggarwal said the state branches of the Association had been authorised to chart out their own strategies.

''We condemn the government's attitude.... they have not heeded any demand raised by the striking doctors and students,'' he added.

The issue could have been resolved amicably but the government has lost the opportunity, Dr Aggarwal said.

Criticising, the Government for its decision, Dr Aggarwal said the Government had even considered the demands of the medicos.

''On one hand it was holding negotiations with the medicos, on the other, it has taken a decision. This is a very wrong precedent the Government has set,'' he added Dr Aggarwal said on May 20 the Central Committee of the Association had authorised the state units to take their decisions.

In Delhi, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) will hold a sit-in and day-long hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in support of the agitating doctors and medical students.

DMA Secretary Girish Tyagi said the since Delhi had observed a bandh on May 15, it will not be applicable here.

On May 15, the IMA had called a medical bandh which completely paralysed the medical services in all hospitals, including private institutions.

The medical students and doctors, on a indefinite strike from the past eleven days, have appealed to people from all walks of life to boycott work from 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs as mark of ''civil disobedience''.

''This call is only for Delhi and we will prove it to the Government that we mean business,'' Dr Harsh Kumar, leader of Youth for Equality, which is spearheading the agitation, said.

He said Banking Associations, traders, RWA and Truckers Associations had pledged support for tomorrow's campaign.

The UPA Left coordination meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, last night decided to implement in letter and spirit the 93rd Constitutional Amendment enabling 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

A specific bill will be brought in the monsoon session of Parliament in this regard.

The striking doctors and students have been demanding complete roll-back of the proposal for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher education institutions, besides setting up of a non-political judicial committee to review the existing reservation policy.

The doctors and medical students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Safdarjang, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Maulana Azad and the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain hospitals are on strike.

Resident and Junior doctors of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Ram Manohar Lohia, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ihbas hospitals had also joined the stir.

UNI NR MSJ RK1848