Thousands of resident doctors across state government-run hospitals in Maharashtra initiated a strike on Thursday, citing demands such as an increase in stipends. The strike garnered participation from almost 350 resident doctors at BJ Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital in Pune.
The potential impact on patients:
Emergency services are expected to remain unaffected, according to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
In a notice issued on Wednesday by Central MARD, they emphasized, "We underscore that patient care is our utmost priority. Our decision to strike is made with a deep sense of responsibility, aiming not to disrupt services but to ensure that the authorities fulfill their obligations to resident doctors, who form the backbone of the healthcare system, citing demands such as an increase in stipends."
Demands by doctors
The doctors' requests encompassed immediate allocation of funds for hostel construction and repairs, regularization of stipend payments, including the disbursement of pending stipends and arrears, and a Rs 10,000 stipend increment.
Despite the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) calling off a strike earlier this month, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif had reassured that the demands would be addressed.
"We consistently trusted the government's assurances, calling off our strike multiple times in the past, despite the challenging situation faced by resident doctors. We gave the authorities the benefit of the doubt and believed in their commitment to address our concerns promptly. However, it appears that our genuine concerns have gone unanswered," stated MARD in a released statement.
In a renewed appeal on Thursday, Pawar conveyed that the government had committed to resolving the matter after presenting a proposal to the cabinet and obtaining approval in the state budget.
Meanwhile, MARD announced intentions to conduct additional meetings with the government's representatives on Friday.
