Cabinet sub-committee to look into medicos' demands

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 7. The four-member Cabinet sub-committee on human resource development has been asked by the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, to look into the demands of striking junior doctors whose agitation entered the third day on Friday.

Mr. Naidu authorised the sub-committee, comprising Mr. Karanam Ramachandra Rao (Minister for Higher Education), Mr. K. Srihari (School Education), Dr. S. Aruna (Health), and Mrs. R. Saraswathi (Women Development) to hold discussions with representatives of the A.P. Junior Doctors Association (APJDA) and resolve their demands.

Talking to The Hindu, the Health Secretary, Mrs. Rachel Chatterjee, appealed to the striking doctors to call off their strike and avoid causing inconvenience to patients in teaching hospitals.Meanwhile, work in all teaching hospitals remained affected especially in the outpatient departments, while all elective surgeries were put on hold.

However, junior doctors in Osmania General Hospital deferred their decision to boycott emergencies due to which the hospital could function partly.

Dr. K. Satyanarayana, OGH Superintendent, said the hospital had discharged the `cold cases' (non-emergencies) due to the strike and stopped new admissions unless they were emergencies. Against the total bed strength of 1168, the hospital had 910 inpatients on Friday.

It is understood that the Government will not yield to the medicos' demand for a steep hike in stipends.

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Section  : Regional
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