Gujarat PG Medicos withdraw strike
Ahmedabad: After the state government agreed to consider their demands, the postgraduate medicos who went on a strike from 15th June have finally decided to call off the agitation.
The medicos were urging the government to consider months of their senior residency period served during the COVID-19 pandemic equivalent to the compulsory bond service.
According to a statement from the Junior Doctors' Association, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, and other senior health department officials recently had a meeting with medical superintendents, PG directors, and deans of medical colleges. According to the statement, the state government promised to consider the demands of the medicos and find an appropriate solution, reports TOI.
Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the PG medical programme and becomes compulsory for the medicos if one wants to apply for teaching positions.
In Gujarat, those candidates admitted through state quota seats, are also required to serve a year-long rural bond service, separate from the residency period. If any student wants to break the bond signed at the time of taking admission, he has to pay Rs 40 lakh. This rule is applicable to students of the six government medical colleges in the state. Last year, after 10 days of long agitation of doctors in all of Gujarat, the state government finally issued an order stating that the Senior Residency (SR) years of the resident doctors would be considered as part of the bond period in the ratio of 1:1. This year, the medicos were seeking the same relief as they had also served during the pandemic.
While hospital authorities made alternate arrangements to cope up with the impact of the strike, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel stated that the resident doctors cannot shy away from serving people in rural areas, as per their bond condition. He even warned of disciplinary action against the agitating doctors. Finally, after getting assurances from the authorities, the protesting medicos have resumed their duties.
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