Junior doctors strike enters seventh day

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 
Visakhapatnam

Junior doctors led by AP Junior Doctors Association tied black cloths around their mouths and took out a silent rally on the premises of the KGH seeking early settlement of their demands.

The strike resulted in patients facing hardships, particularly, in the Out Patient department where huge crowds were seen. The junior doctors are demanding among other things registration of their degrees immediately on completion of their MBBS or PG course, payment of arrears of stipend and hiking the stipend once in every two years.

APJUDA Core Committee member Dr.Srija said that the doctors from Guntur had joined the strike yesterday and those from Tirupati and Vijayawada were to join the strike but were staging protests. She said that junior doctors had formed rosters and emergencies were being attended despite the strike. In the evening, a candle light protest was organized by the junior doctors near the VUDA Central Park.

Meanwhile, Dr.G.Arjuna, KGH Superintendent said that they are restricting the admission of new cases where there was no emergency in view of the strike. Old cases and surgeries are being attended. The demand for release of arrears of stipend has been met in the case of house surgeons and it would be done son in the case of PGs. Dr.P.V.Sudhakar, a member of the AP Medical Council said that the issue of registration of degrees on completion of MBBS or PG course could be taken only by the government.