Nearly 3,000 doctors have resigned from their posts in Madhya Pradesh hours after state High Court ordered the striking junior doctors to resume their duties within 24 hours, calling their protest “illegal”. The doctors have also challenged the High Court order.
Confirming the resignations of nearly 3,000 doctors the Madhya Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (MPJDA) Secretary Ankita Tripathi said, “The government didn’t accept our demands but only gave us assurance so we did not end our strike”.
She also said that police is being sent to the houses of doctors asking them to end up their strike. “The government is saying that junior doctors are blackmailing them which is not true. If we had to blackmail the government, why are there fewer patients now?” the secretary questioned.
Responding to the strike and the resignations of the junior doctors the Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said that even after fulfilling their demands, “their attitude shows their bigotry”.
However, MPJDA President Dr Arvind Meena has asserted that the government has not fulfilled the doctors’ demand even after promising them, forcing them to stop their work.
Asked about the government’s decision to increase their stipend by 17% and whether they will continue their duties after important orders are given, Meena said it stayed non-commital. “The government has promised to raise the stipend by 24 per cent and till they raise it to that limit, the strike will continue,” he said.
The MPJDA president told that the strike which started on Monday will continue till their demands are met.
The demands by the junior doctors from the government include that their stipends are increased and they and their family get free treatment for the deadly Covid-19 infection if they contract it.
