Gujarat doctors decline to call off strike despite ESMA

Ahmedabad, July 27 (ANI): The striking doctors in Gujarat refused to bow down and call off their agitation on Monday despite the State Government invoking Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA).

The doctors have decided to reply to the show cause notices issued to them.

"We have accepted termination letters issued to us in Surat, Ahmedabad and other districts, and will also be replying to the show cause notices issued to other doctors across the state," spokesperson for Gujarat Association of Resident Doctors (GARD), Dr Vivek Patel said.

"We are ready to face any action by the government but we won't call off our strike," he added.

Over 2,000 resident doctors from different district of Gujarat have been on strike for last five days and demanding rise in monthly stipend. The say it is presently less than the salary of a Class IV employee of a government hospital.

Essential Services Maintenance Act was imposed on the striking doctors on Sunday evening after talks between them and the government failed.

"We were prepared to consider and decide upon all their demands if they withdrew their strike. But wiser senses did not prevail over them," State's Principal Secretary Ravi Saxena said. (ANI)