Junior doctors begin indefinite cease work

Kolkata, Aug 26 (UNI) Continuing with the anti-reservation movement, junior doctors in the city's Calcutta Medical College and Hospital began an indefinite ceasework from today affecting treatment of patients in the outdoor department.

The medicos, under the banner of 'Youth for Equality', announced that they would stay away from attending duties in the OPD unless the Centre revoked its decision for increasing the OBC quota in premier institutions.

Protesting the government's proposal, which has already been cleared by the Union Cabinet, and the 'unprovoked' lathicharge of police on protesting students in the city on August 24, the medicos also formed a human chain and took out a procession from the medical college to the Esplanade area in the evening.

At least seven medical students were injured and 150 detained during a demonstration in the city on Thursday as police used batons to stop them from taking to an unauthorised route and marching towards the state secretariat of Writers' Buildings.

A 'Youth for Equality' spokesman claimed that students in the state's other medical colleges would also gradually resort to cease work.

However, patients had a harrowing time in getting medical care in the OPD of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital as handful of senior doctors, in the absence of their juniors, grappled to cope with the heavy rush.

Relatives of a number of patients alleged that they had either been denied treatment or had to wait for hours because of meagre strength of doctors in the OPD.

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