Many Maharashtra doctors ignore HC order, continue strike

After the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Thursday urged all resident doctors to call off their four-day-long agitation and resume work, only a few have joined in Mumbai, reports India Today.

MARD had in a statement requested all of the 40,000 Indian Medical Association doctors, who had gone on strike across the state to protest against lack of security, to resume work immediately.

"It's an individual level strike not under MARD's banner, but with due respect to the High Court, chief minister and medical education minister we requested our fellow resident doctors to join, now it's every individual's decision," MARD said.

MARD, whose around 4,000 members were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals, also filed an affidavit to say the resident doctors were prepared to work but the government and hospital administrations should assure them of safety and security.

Indian Medical Association, whose members went on strike in support of resident doctors, will decide about their stand after meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, with whom they have sought an audience today.

The Full Time Medical Teachers Association of Mumbai is also expected to clear its stand about the strike after the meeting. On Thursday it had given an ultimatum of 48 hours to the government to accept their demands or else they will tender mass resignations.

FTMTA, with more than 1,200 members across the city, had extended its support to resident doctors who are protesting against the attack on doctors since the last three days.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Thursday appealed to resident doctors in the state to call off their strike and assured them that the government would ensure their security in hospitals. The Bombay High Court too has asked the state to not undertake punitive action against the doctors if they resume work (See: Return to work at once, HC tells striking Maharashtra docs).