Junior doctors call off strike, RJD MLA surrenders

Gaya/Patna, Feb 4 (PTI) The indefinite strike by juniordoctors in Bihar demanding arrest of an RJD MLA, whosebodyguards had fired at them in a Gaya hospital, was todaycalled off after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured them ofadequate security.

A delegation of Patna Medical College and Hospital(PMCH) Junior Doctors Association led by its secretary D Kumarcalled on the chief minister this afternoon.

"The chief minister has assured us that the stategovernment will provide full security to the doctors", Kumartold PTI.

Meanwhile, the senior RJD MLA Surendra Yadav, whosesecurity guards had fired at the doctors, today surrenderedbefore the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gaya, R NS Pande, which remanded him in 14 days judicial custody.

Giving details of the meeting with the chief minister,Kumar said he also assured them of enacting a suitable law(Medical Profession Security Act) on the pattern of the one inAndhra Pradesh besides introduction of a residential schemefor them.

"Soon after meeting Kumar, we had an emergency meetingand decided to call off the strike with immediate effect",Kumar said. The strike had begun on Monday.

The indefinite strike by the medicos against thefiring by the MLA''s bodyguards at Anugraha Narayan MedicalCollege and Hospital (ANMCH) at Gaya on Sunday had affectedthe functioning of medical colleges and hospitals in Bihar.

The two bodyguards of Yadav, a four-time MLA fromBelagunj in Gaya and a minister in the erstwhile Rabri Devigovernment, had allegedly fired at junior doctors at ANMCH andinjured three of them after a heated argument between themedicos and the legislator over ''delay'' in treating a patient.

Both the bodyguards have been arrested and are injudicial custody.