Private medical practitioners stage anti-reservation rally

Ahmedabad, May 25 (UNI) Even as the Gujarat Medical Association (GMA) asked its local units to stage protest demonstrations in various cities, private medical practitioners in Surat today took out a large rally in protest against reservation.

Nearly 2,000 doctors took part in the rally which started from Chowk Bazar and culminated at the Collectorate. They submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Collector, GMA secretary Bipin Patel told UNI today.

He said the doctors also closed their clinics and dispensaries, except for treating emergency cases, according to the directions of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) which directed the State units to stage suitable programmes to protest against the government decision.

The Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) is meeting here tonight to decide their future course of action.

Meanwhile, medical students and junior doctors observed their strike in the state for the 11th day today, as a group of them donated blood at B J Medical College Post-Graduate Hostel to express their solidarity with the needy.

The striking students and junior doctors are also holding daily 'puja', 'arti', 'havan' and 'yajna' at the college compound, to pray for ''good sense among the national leaders''.

Students and doctors from different medical colleges in the state are scheduled to leave for Delhi to participate in the nationwide rally in the capital on May 27.

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