Govt. invites striking medicos to talks

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 2. The Health Minister, Dr. S. Aruna, has invited representatives of the A. P. Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA), who have been on strike since Thursday, to talks on November 4 to discuss and resolve their demands.

This invitation was extended after APJUDA leaders rejected a written offer by the Director of Medical Education, Dr. C. N. Ramesh, to hold talks with them. They took the stand that their previous talks with the Principal Secretary, Medical & Health, Dr. A. K. Tigidi, had failed and there was no purpose now in discussions with the DME.

Meanwhile, normal work in 35 teaching hospitals remained partially affected as the medicos' strike entered the second day on Friday. The APJUDA organised processions, dharnas and rasta roko in different cities and towns including Vizag, Vijayawada, Guntur and Tirupati to register their protest.

In Hyderabad, junior doctors and undergraduates took out a procession from Osmania Hospital to Osmania Medical College while medicos of Gandhi Hospital organised a separate rally. In Kurnool, they organised rasta roko briefly at the busy Rajvihar centre and a dharna near the Collectorate while a motorcycle rally marked their protest in Warangal.

Addressing a press conference, the APJUDA president, Dr. K. Hariprasad, the general secretary, Dr. J. Srinivas, and general secretary, A. P. House Surgeons' Association, Dr. B. Saidulu, said they would participate in the talks with the Health Minister but would call off their strike only if the Government took immediate and concrete action on their demands. Most of their demands had been accepted by the Government a year and a half ago but not implemented so far.

"We are tired of Government Orders and will not be fooled with fresh ones. The officials must show us the bills that they have actually paid the application fee to the Medical Council of India for recognition of 161 post-graduate courses. They must also name the members of the committee constituted by the Government last year".

The APJUDA leaders said the plight of doctors who had completed their post-graduation from AP was such that they could not get employment or seats in super-speciality courses. A majority of PG courses were not recognised by the Medical Council of India because of lack of initiative by the State Government.

They reiterated their resolve to boycott emergency duties in teaching hospitals from November 5.

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Section  : Southern States
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