Striking medicos on Tuesday decided to carry on with their anti-reservation agitation despite the Supreme Court directive to call off the same.
The apex court order is not addressed to them and it does not carry a contempt of court threat, representatives of 'Youth for Eqality', spearheading the agitation, said.
Govt to call Army doctors
Meanwhile, the Government on Tuesday said Army doctors will be called from Wednesday to restore services in state-run hospitals in view of the continuing strike by medicos against reservation.
After a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Health Minister A Ramadoss said, "We are going to maintain services in the hospitals come what may. We will be calling doctors from the Army tomorrow and appoint new doctors."
He ruled out invoking ESMA against the striking doctors.
The Minister said the Prime Minister was concerned about the Supreme Court's comments on Tuesday on the continuation of the strike by the medicos.
Ramadoss said Singh had asked to take all possible steps to maintain services in hospitals.
"We are very disheartened with the response" of the medicos on the appeals made by the Prime Minister and others to call off the agitation, he said.
{{/usCountry}}"We are very disheartened with the response" of the medicos on the appeals made by the Prime Minister and others to call off the agitation, he said.
{{/usCountry}}He ruled out any further discussions between the government and the protestors, saying the Prime Minister negotiated with them himself but they did not pay heed to his appeal.