Resident doctors to resume strike today

Maharashtra resident doctors to start indefinite strike from 5pm today due to unmet demands of stipend increase and hostel facilities improvement.

MUMBAI: Following an internal meeting on Wednesday, resident doctors across the state have decided to go ahead with the indefinite strike from 5pm today after the state government failed to fulfill their demands of increasing the stipend and improving hostel facilities.

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Earlier this month, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) went on strike on February 7. However, they called off the strike immediately after deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar assured them to fulfill the demands within ten days.

“We had kept our faith in the state government’s words and called our strike multiple times previously, despite the distressing situation of resident doctors, the benefit of the doubt was always given to the authority, and we entrusted them to do the right thing on time to ensure the welfare of resident doctors,” said Dr Abhijit Helge, president, Central MARD, who added this time, they will not call off the strike unless there is a cabinet decision on their demands.

In a press statement released by the office of Ajit Pawar on February 7, an immediate stipend hike of ₹10,000 was announced along with regularisation of the stipend, one of the other demands made by the resident doctors.

“Despite the assurances of fulfilling our demands within two days, we have seen no progress in the last two weeks. Regardless of our innumerable pleas, it seems our genuine concerns have fallen on deaf ears. The state has over 8,000 resident doctors, and only 3000 hostel facilities are available. Stipend raise was promised, and nothing happened on the same too,” said Dr Sarbik De, vice president, Central MARD.

Presently, the pay of junior resident doctors is ₹78,000 and ₹82,000 per month. MARD has demanded that the pay scale be similar to that of central institutes, i.e. ₹1.2 lakh per month.

Resident doctors said they would continue with all emergency services during the strike. The medical colleges in the state have asked the senior doctors and professors to be alert and manage the outpatient departments. “At present, we have not decided to cancel any elective surgeries. It will be a wait-and-watch situation for us. If the strike continues, we may have to cancel elective surgeries,” said a medical college dean.

An official from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research was not available for comment.