Medico strike intensifies; RML Faculty on stir

New Delhi, May 26: Turning down appeals by the President and the Prime Minister to end the stir, striking doctors and medical students today continued to intensify the agitation as support from several quarters kept pouring in.

In an effort to break the 13-day stalemate, Union Health Secretary P C Hota is holding talks with the representatives of the striking medicos at AIIMS.

The Faculty Association of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) is on a day-long strike today in support of the doctors and medical students.

OPD services in the hospital were affected and only emergency units were fully operational.

''We have joined the strike in support of the medical students and doctors and we are with them all the way. The government cannot deter them,'' a RML Faculty Association spokesperson said.

She said the Government's attitude towards the striking medicos was not acceptable to them.

''It has turned a blind eye towards its own children and we will fight that,'' she added.

However, RML Medical Superintendent N K Chaturvedi said the OPD functions were normal but for a very brief period.

''I spoke to the agitating doctors and told them not to cause inconvenience to the patients. Till 1030 hrs around 1,500 patients were registered with us. All the services are functioning well,'' he added.

The striking medicos are performing a 'hawan' at Hindu Rao Hospital for the success of the agitation.

Grade III and IV employees of LNJP Hospital joined the strike.

This evening, the agitating doctors and students will burn 30 feet effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh and former Prime Minister V P Singh at University College of Medical Science (UCMS) and take out a candlelight march.

Students and doctors of Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) will also take out a ''blood march'' holding test tubes carrying blood.

Tomorrow, the medicos have called a ''Dilli Aao Desh Bachao'' protest rally at Ramlila Ground where anti-reservation activists from across the country are expected.

Organsiations from several states, including Haryana and Punjab, have confirmed their participation.

''We are expecting activists from across the country at the rally here on May 27 and we are hopeful that the turnout will be very good,'' AIIMS RDA president and Youth for Equality president Binod Patra told UNI.

The rally is scheduled to be held at the Ramlila Ground from 1630 hrs.

He said the rally will be a show of strength and a message to the government that the agitation will not be withdrawn.

''We are severely disappointed with the way the government has ignored our demands... but that will not deter us, we will go on,'' he added.

Criticising the Government, he said on one hand it was holding negotiations with the medicos while on the other it took a decision on the proposal.

''They have back-stabbed us.... This is not how a democracy works,'' he added.

The striking doctors and medical students today again dissuaded candidates from appearing in walk-in interviews, being held to recruit retired and junior doctors to normalise medical services crippled due to the agitation, at Delhi Government's four hospitals.

They appealed to the candidates to not become a ''tool'' in the hands of the government to weaken the agitation and help it restore the severely-hit hospital services.

The interviews were being held at Deen Dayal Upadhayaya, Gobind Ballab Pant, Guru Teg Bahadur and Lok Nayak hospitals.

The striking medicos expressed disappointment over the Prime Minister's comments on OBC reservation, saying the purpose of negotiations was defeated as the Government will not change its decision. ''It is very disappointing on one hand the Prime Minister said he is open for talks and on the other the OBC reservation issue will not be changed,'' said Ms Amitasha Sinha, leader for Youth for Equality.

''It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister's first comments on the issue are on such lines,'' she added.

She said the agitation will continue and will be intensified further.

Yesterday in Srinagar, Dr Singh said the government would seek all ''viable and credible ways'' to protect the interests of all sections of society.

Appealing to the agitating doctors and students to call off their agitation, Dr Singh said the UPA-Left Coordination Committee had worked out a detailed roadmap for reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

''That resolution (UPA-Left) is a public document,'' he said.

Yesterday, a 12-member delegation of the striking medicos and AIIMS Faculty members called on President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Dr Kalam on Wednesday had asked the students to come out of the ''fasting mode' and resumem their normal life.

They urged the President to convene a meeting between the Prime Minister and them to discuss the issue.

The delegation had also submitted a memorandum to the President, demanding setting up of a non-political judicial committee to review the existing reservation policy, white paper on reservation, exclusion of ''creamy layer from reservation'', quotas for economically backward classes and no action against the striking doctors and students.'' Parallel OPD services in all the hospitals, including AIIMS and Safdarjang hospitals, have already been withdrawn in protest.

Heavy deployment of police and Rapid Action Force has been done in and around AIIMS where the medical students started the indefinite hunger strike on May 13.

Since more than 130 of the fasting 180 medical students had taken ill, more students have joined in. As many as 100 students are now on an indefinite hunger strike at AIIMS.

The UPA Left coordination meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on May 23 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 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 the strike.

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

UNI

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