Thaindian News

Gandhinagar, Aug 4 (IANS) Around 4,800 resident doctors posted in various government hospitals in Gujarat joined back on duty Tuesday after 12 days of strike following an assurance by the government that it would look into their demand for a raise in the monthly stipend.
The Gujarat government in an emailed letter Monday night to the representatives of the Gujarat Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) stated that it would form a committee to consider the hike in the stipend and take a decision within one-and-a-half months, a senior health department official said.

He said the order terminating the services of more than 400 resident doctors for participating in the strike would be withdrawn immediately. The suspension of all the doctors who had participated in the strike had already been withdrawn.

The resident doctors had insisted on a written assurance that their stipend would be raised before calling off the strike. They have been demanding a stipend of Rs.20,000 per month.

A team of seven resident doctors has been asked to be in touch with the Gujarat Principal Secretary (Health) Ravi Saxena on the issue, the official said.

The resident doctors have also urged the state government to discuss the issue of improving their working condition in government hospitals as well as about their long duty hours, he added.