Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a sudden change of events, the government doctors - who had gone on indefinite strike on Wednesday morning over non-fulfillment of their demands – backed off late in the evening, hours after the principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur dubbed their strike “illegal”. Though the doctors called off the strike “respecting the court’s order”, they signaled at taking some major move. Shaskiya-Ashashikya Chikitsak Mahasangh President Rakesh Malviya confirmed that the doctors’ strike has been called off respecting the order of the high court.
The decision to call off strike was taken during a meeting of the Mahasangh after the court’s order. “Respecting the orders of the High Court, we have called off our strike. However, our protest against the government will continue and we will take a ‘big’ decision soon,” said Dr Sunil Agrawal, Mahasangh state convener.
Earlier, dubbing their indefinite strike “illegal”, the principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur had directed the striking government doctors to return to duty immediately. “Division bench of Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra termed the doctors’ indefinite strike “illegal” and instructed them not even observe token strike,” said advocate Rahul Gupta, a counsel of former corporator (Jabalpur) Indrajit Kunwar Pal Singh, who filed petition into the matter. The court directed the striking doctors to resume their duty immediately, said Gupta.
Around 15,000 doctors across Madhya Pradesh have gone on an indefinite strike demanding the implementation of the DACP (Dynamic Assured Career Progression) scheme. The protesting doctors had claimed that they had put their demands before the state government many times, but the same fell on deaf ears. Resultantly, they had no other option but to go on strike. Following their strike, the doctors did not even turn up for emergency health services in the state.
About 15000 doctors across the state were on strike, in which apart from the health department, medical education department, junior doctor association, contractual doctor association and Madhya Pradesh medical doctor association were involved in it. The emergency facilities were also stopped from Wednesday. Mahasangh member Dr Madhav Hasani said that in February also the doctors had gone on strike on the same issue.
The government had then constituted a high committee under ACS health Mohammed Suleman which had made certain recommendations in March but later, the committee backtracked leaving government doctors high and dry, he added. It was then the government doctors decided to go on an indefinite strike. Before going on indefinite strike, the aggrieved doctors had begun to protest with ‘reminding promise’ and token strike.
