Thaindian News

Gandhinagar, July 30 (IANS) As many as 550 final year MBBS interns in various Gujarat hospitals who were supporting the resident doctors on indefinite strike since July 23 resumed duty Thursday.
However, at least 1,200 resident doctors who are postgraduate students serving with various government hospitals in the state are continuing with their strike to demand a higher stipend.

The interns were warned by the state government that their support to the resident doctors and their absence from hospitals would be taken seriously and expulsions ordered for absentee interns from Thursday onwards.

“There had been some respite for the government hospitals with the 550 interns deciding to resume duty today (Thursday). As of now, there are 633 resident doctors out of 1,200 whose services are likely to be terminated from today (Thursday) evening,” a senior health department official said.

He said that the resident doctors have been warned against going on a hunger strike across the state.

The state government had already told the resident doctors that the government would not bow down to their demand.

A statement issued by the Gujarat Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) said that none of the resident doctors will resume duty till their demands are met.