Jr doctors hold dharna, Anbumani's effigy burnt

Hyderabad, Nov 28 (UNI) The Junior Doctors Association today staged a dharna before the Gandhi Medical College in the city in protest against the Centre's proposal extending the five and half year MBBS course by one more year.

More than 300 junior doctors and medicos, boycotting classes, participated in the dharna and burnt the effigy of Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss demanding the government to withdraw its proposal.

Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Chinna Reddy, a junior doctor said ''we are not against rendering services in villages. But the government should not extend the course period to six and half years, making it mandatory to serve in the rural areas.

''The government should include rural service in the present five and half year course. The medicos are not ready to accept the Centre's proposal,'' he said adding ''extending the course period will not help the junior doctors to pursue the Post Graduation because it will take more than ten years to complete their studies.'' Mr Reddy warned the junior doctors would intensify their stir if the government did not take back its proposal.

UNI