HC stricture to drop docs'stir

Hyderabad,Nov 16: The Andhra Pradesh High Court and the State Human Rights Commission on Monday took strong exception to the indefinite fast and strike launched since Monday last to press for increased stipend on par with their counterparts in other states.SHRC Chairman Justice Subhashan Reddy has categorically stated that the agitating junior doctors and the postgraduate medical students, house staff and internees have no right to disrupt emergency services by their strike and inconvenience hapless patiens and sick people who go to hospitals for treatment.Taking a serious view of their agitation, the Commission said, their indiscipline has prompted it to resort to this step.

“This should be checked immediately forthwith at the initial stage itself,” the Commission opined The Andhra Pradesh High Court also directed the striking junior doctors to drop their strike in the larger interests of the suffering patients.Admitting a public interest litigation,the court directed the State Government to consider their genuine demands in view of the suffering of the patients.The court posted the hearing of the PIL to Tuesday.The court also directed the striking doctors to submit their reply by Tuesday.All services in the Government teaching hospitals across the state,except emergency services,were paralysed following the strike since Monday last.

Issuing a note to the State Chief Secretary,the Rights Commission asked as to why the government did not take disciplinary action against the agitating doctors? The Commission also directed the Chief Secretary to submit a comprehensive report on the issue.Meanwhile,the indefinite fast launched by the junior doctors demanding increased stipend and allowances following the failure of talks with the government,entered third day on Monday.In a novel protest,the junior doctors sent postcards to President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi enlisting their demands and duly signed with their blood or affixing thumb impressions.