Delhi hospitals resume functioning after 18 days

New Delhi, June 1: Medical services in all hospitals in the national capital regained normalcy today after junior doctors joined duty this morning after being on strike for 18 days against the government's move to increase OBC seats in centres of higher education.

Long lines and big crowd of patients, some of whom had come from other states, were seen at OPD wards across the city since morning.

The Supreme court, which had decided to go into the reservation issue, had yesterday asked striking doctors to resume duty immediately or face contempt.

Besides the resident doctors, medical students also went back to classes in all the five medical colleges -- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University College of Medical Sciences, Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (Safdarjang Hospital) -- in Delhi.

However, the agitation against reservation continued with its focus shifting from AIIMS to Delhi University. Students from colleges, including medical and engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru University and representatives of residents welfare associations would continue their stir from Delhi University.

The decision to call off the strike was taken after day-long consultations among student and with legal experts where the doctors appeared divided on how to carry on their protests in view of the Apex Court's call to end the strike immediately.

There was a lack of unanimity, also because the agitation had spread to other states and to institutions geared to excellence in other areas of study.

Undeterred by a similar court order on May 30, the striking medicos had decided to go ahead with their strike after nearly six-hour long discussion and consultations with legal experts at AIIMS.

As they delayed announcing an end to their strike after a fresh order from the court yesterday, there looked a distinct possibility at one time that the medicos were heading for a collision with both the executive as well as the judicial pillars of the State.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who visited AIIMS yesterday, had also threatened the striking doctors with termination and fresh recruitment.

UNI