AIIMS medicos end strike; Director, Dean to sign degrees

New Delhi, Aug 30 (UNI) Resident doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) today called off their strike after the Institute administration decided to award them their degrees soon.

As soon as the decision to end the stir was taken, at an emergency general body meeting of the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), the doctors resumed work attending to patients.

''We decided to call off the strike after we were assured that we will get our degrees soon. The degrees will not be signed Union Health Minister,'' AIIMS RDA General Secretary Dr Anil Sharma said.

The AIIMS Staff Council, which met today to discuss the situation, decided that the degrees will be signed by the Institute Director and the Dean and issued to the students, Hospital Media-in charge (acting) Dr M K Singh said.

AIIMS Director P Venugopal and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, also the institute President, yesterday in a meeting had fixed September 26 as the date for the convocation ceremony.

The Resident doctors were on strike since Tuesday night, demanding that Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who is also the president of the Institute, sign the degrees of scholars to enable them to apply in other Universities.

Accepting the terms, Dr Sharma said the RDA had sought legal opinion and the degrees, without the Presidents' signature will be valid.

''We don't mind if Dr Ramadoss does not sign the degrees... It is an honour for the President to sign the degrees if he dosen't want it its fine by us,'' he added.

The resident doctors went on strike demanding degrees for about 700 AIIMS scholars which were not awarded for the past two years as Dr Ramadoss had not put his signature on them.

The RDA is demanding that degrees of 49 AIIMS scholars who are to go abroad on September 1 for higher studies be at least signed as the non receipt of degrees had put their visit in jeopardy.

The Health Minister had blamed the AIIMS administration for the delay in awarding of degrees.

Dr Ramadoss said he had received a bunch of certificates which carried the signature of a person whose appointment had not been approved by the AIIMS governing body, the highest decision making body of the institute.

''So, I sent a letter to the Director saying the certificates were illegal and should be signed by the legally-appointed Registrar,'' he added.

UNI