Medicos struck work, stage demo in TN

Chennai, Sep 5 (UNI) Medicos in Tamil Nadu today struck work and staged demonstrations across the State to protest against the Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss' directive, making rural postings mandatory before getting their degrees.

Over 1300 students and house surgeons of three government medical colleges in the city staged a demonstration in front of the Memorial Hall.

Similar protests were held in various parts of the State including Madurai, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli.

In the city, the demonstration gained political colour with CPI State Secretary D Pandian addressing the medicos.

Mr Pandian said the medicos were prepared to serve in rural areas, but not by increasing the MBBS course duration.

A report from Madurai said Over 1,000 medical students and house surgeons, affiliated to Tamil Nadu Medical Students' Association (TNMSA) and Students doing Compulsory Rotary Residential Internship (CRRI), boycotted classes and staged demonstration.

They held that the move would increase the MBBS course duration by another year.

The agitators staged a demonstration at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) premises and took out a procession from GRH to the District Collectorate, where they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Collector.

TNMSA District President R Kannan told the media that the medical students were ready to serve in rural areas, but only after getting permanent placement.

The one-year period, split into four months of service in district headquarters hospital and four months each in taluk hospital and primary health centre would not serve the purpose, as the duration would be too short to adapt to the local conditions, he said.

In Tiruchirapalli, the students of K A P Viswanathan Government Medical College took out a procession to Collectorate, condemning the Centre's move.

UNI