Jr docs to intensify stir

Hyderabad,Nov 13: As talks between the State Government and the medicos failed again, about 14,000 junior doctors have decided to boycott all services excluding emergency services and continue to intensify their agitation from Saturday.The patients at the ten government teaching hospitals across the state suffered the most with junior doctors boycotting their duties demanding hike in their stipend.Medical services including out-patient,ward and Arogyasri services were paralysed forcing many patients to return home.Talking to media persons,Minister for Medical Education P Sudharshan Reddy said the department has made alternative arrangements asking senior doctors to work for longer hours.He said the Chief Minister K Rosaiah invited the junior doctors to hold talks at his chambers in the Secretariat on Saturday.

The junior doctors said they have no choice but to stall emergency services in case the Government did not respond to their demands and the government should be held responsible for any consequences. The medical authorities claimed that out-patient, in-patient services and surgeries were the worst hit due to the strike.The junior doctors maintained that the enhancement of stipend should be on par with the UGC scales or as per the recommendations of an expert committee on residential system in 2006.But the Government offered a comprehensive package that will not be enhanced for the next few years. The doctors claimed that the package offered by the Government will serve no purpose as implementation of the expert committee recommendations will double their stipend and assure yearly hike in their stipend. Similar is the case with implementation of the UGC scale.The Government has agreed to increase the stipend for medicos of undergraduate, postgraduate and super-specialty courses from the existing Rs 5,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 to Rs 7,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 17,000 respectively.

 However,it will be enhanced in the next few years keeping in view of the financial crisis in the State.With both the Government and the medicos not reaching a consensus on the issue, Sudharshan Reddy forwarded the issue to Chief Minister K Rosaiah who in turn asked the junior doctors to meet him for final talks tomorrow.