Maha resident doctors call off strike after Medical Education Minister's assurance

Mumbai: Resident doctors in Maharashtra called off their indefinite strike on Tuesday following a meeting with medical education minister Girish Mahajan. The minister assured them that all their demands will be fulfilled in the next two to three days.

Resident doctors in government and civic-run colleges and hospitals, who had gone on a strike a day earlier in support of their various demands, on Tuesday called off their agitation after a “positive" dialogue with the government, said state medical education minister Girish Mahajan. 

At least 7,000 physicians under the aegis of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) employed in government and civic bodies-run hospitals went on a strike on Monday to highlight a range of issues and demands, including poor condition of hostels, filling up of posts of associate and assistant professors in state-run medical colleges and payment of coronavirus-period arrears.

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Talking to reporters, the medical education minister said, “The doctors have called off their strike after a positive dialogue. We have taken up their issues for resolution on a war footing." In a statement, the MARD said the stir was called off as the government assured to address their demands like repairs of residential hostels, increasing salary of senior resident doctors, creating 1,432 posts of senior physicians, and filling up of positions of associate and assistant professors.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that almost 7000 resident doctors attached to Maharashtra government medical Colleges and municipal corporation medical Colleges had entered their second day of protest as they continued to strike since Monday. The doctors have started their agitation over a range of issues, including the quality of hostel facilities and the filling of vacant posts of assistant and associate professors.

The issue pertaining to hostels will be addressed immediately and Rs 12 crore has been given to the public works department (PWD) for repairs, Mahajan said.

The minister further said he held a meeting with PWD officials and deans of medical colleges.

To address the issue of accommodation of resident medicos on a long-term basis, Mahajan said the state government has approached the Centre for a sum of Rs 500 crore for building hostels. Help has also been sought from private companies so that their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds can be used for constructing hostels.

The agitating doctors had also raised issues related to civic hospitals and their arrears pending since the outbreak of coronavirus, he said.

Mahajan said he held a meeting with the chiefs of Thane and Mumbai civic bodies on the issue. Since civic-run hospitals come under the urban development department, which is headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the latter will hold a meeting soon, he added.

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