Arrest Striking Doctors : Rajasthan HC gives free hand To State Government

Jaipur: The strike for medical practitioners turned ugly for doctors in the state, after the high court today one again reprimanded the striking doctors warning them with arrest on the failure of any settlement with the government.

Despite being a public holiday on account of Christmas, the high court opened its gates, just to hear the petition on doctors strike filed by advocate Abhinav Sharma, which blamed the doctors for the suffering of the patients in the state. The lawyer further submitted that despite high court orders directing the end of the strike, doctors continued to abstain from work .

Read Also : Despite HC Warning, Rajasthan Doctors continue to strike

It is reported that striking government doctors in Rajasthan continued to abstain from work for the ninth consecutive day affecting healthcare services in the state. Aiming to break the deadlock, the state health department had invited striking doctors for talks. But the agitating doctors did not turn up.

Now today with the HC hearing, doctors were at the receiving end of the wrath of the bench, which further directed the two presidents of doctors association - Dr Ajay Chaudhary and Durga Shanker - should be arrested if no agreement happens between doctors and the government.

The division bench of Rajasthan High Court headed by Chief Justice Pradeep Nand Rajong and D C somani also allowed the state government to apprehend the doctors under the law and even under the Rajasthan Maintenance of Essential Services act 1970.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that in-service government doctors went on an indefinite strike on December 16 against the arrest of some of their fellow doctors under the Rajathan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA). The act was invoked after the doctors threatened that they would go on strike.As many as 86 doctors had been arrested before the high court. On December 19 HC directed the agitating doctors to resume their duties and assured them that no doctor would be arrested.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Medical Teachers Association (RMTCA) secretary Dr Dhananjay Agrawal said they will wear black armbands on arms to lodge their protest and demand that the government amicably resolve the issue. The striking doctors of the state have also found support from doctors associations across the country, which have condemned the arrest of doctor like criminals. AIIMS RDA even wrote a letter the PM asking him to work like a doctor for one day to understand their plight

Read Also: Put On Apron For A Day To Feel Our Pain: AIIMS doctors tell PM Modi