Stir enters day 13, PM meets striking medicos

New Delhi, May 26 (UNI) Medical services remained crippled for the 13th day today despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance to a delegation of striking doctors and students that the reservation roadmap of the UPA-Coordination Committee addressed the concerns of all sections of students.

''The UPA-Coordination Committee addresses concerns of all categories of students.... They need not worry about shrinking educational opportunities,'' Prime Minister's Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru said while reading out Dr Singh's statement after his 90 minute meeting with the striking doctors.

The Prime Minister also assured them that he foresaw a massive expansion in capacities of higher education system.

The medicos said they had ''good meeting'' with the Prime Minister but they had not taken any decision regarding the withdrawal of the strike.

OPD services in all hospitals of the national capital and other cities across the country were badly hit as parallel Out Patients Department (OPD) was suspended.

In an effort to break the 13-day stalemate, Union Health Secretary P C Hota earlier met representatives of the striking medicos at AIIMS where the medical students started the indefinite hunger strike on May 13. .

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

''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.

In Amritsar, medical services were affected at Guru Nanak Hospital, SGPC run Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Services and Research following the strike by residents doctors and students.

Meanwhile, pro-reservationists burnt BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu's effigy for his anti-quota stand.

Medical services at PGIMS, Rohtak were hit as resident doctors and medical students continued with their strike and blocked the roads at two places on the National Highway number 10 and at Bohar on Sonipat-Rohtak roads with the help of local villagers.

In Patiala, the OPD services were hit as medical students, interns and junior doctors of Government Medical College, Government Ayurvedic College, Government Dental College and Government Rajindra Hospital continued with their anti-quota stir.

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