The Hindu : Medicos hold parallel out-patient centres

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 27, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Medicos hold parallel out-patient centres

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI APRil 26. The impasse over the Statewide strike by medical and dental college students continued for the fourth day today, with the protestors rejecting the Government's offer for talks.

The Government had insisted that talks would be held only if the strike was called off and the Health Minister yesterday urged students to accept the invitation for discussions. However, the students said they were ready for negotiations but only if unconditional.

Meanwhile, the agitating medicos today conducted parallel outpatient treatment centres in government hospitals throughout the State, spending from their pockets to buy and dispense medicines.

In Chennai, the students treated more than 300 patients in the Government General Hospital, spending about Rs. 2,500 on medicines to establish that they were not against the public, the vice-president of the federation of medical students associations, D. Karal, said.

The students also wore black masks in a silent protest, and conducted a signature campaign in public places to gain support for their demands, which included a ban on the reported opening of private medical and dental colleges and reservation of seats for NRIs.

The students said they would continue holding parallel treatment centres on Sunday, and, as part of the agitation, had planned to donate blood by organising camps for medicos in government hospitals all over the State.

The PMK leader, S. Ramadoss, urged the Government to hold ``unconditional talks'' with the striking medicos and said it was surprising that the State administration was refusing to speak to the medicos unless they called off the strike, when the Chief Minister wanted the Prime Minister to intervene and end the strike by the truckers without asking them to call off the stir.

He said the `privatisation' of engineering education had landed the sector in a mess and the same crisis should not spread to medical or dental education.

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