The junior doctors in Telangana called off their three-day old strike after a day-long discussions with Health Department officials on Wednesday.
The day began with the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) releasing a statement about their discussions with the health ministry and the Director of Medical Education (DME). They were assured that a Government Order (GO) regarding new hostel buildings for Gandhi Medical College (GMC) and Osmania Medical College (OMC) would be issued by the end of the day. “If the above assured two GOs are not released, the strike will resume on Thursday,” they said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Osmania Telangana Junior Doctors Association announced that they would continue with their strike as planned. They cited concerns that while the government had assured the release of GOs on various issues, there was no assurance regarding Osmania General Hospital (OGH). “We look forward to obtaining documented clarification from the Telangana government concerning the construction of a new building for OGH,” their statement said.
In the afternoon, the Health, Medical, and Family Welfare department of the Telangana government issued a GO, allocating Rs 204.85 crore to the DME for civil works at Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College, and Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal. The sanctioned amount included ₹121.9 crore for OMC, ₹79.5 crore for GMC, and ₹3.45 crore for constructing internal cement concrete roads at KMC.
By evening, Minister for Health C Damodar Raja Narasimha held a press conference with the junior doctors, during which the strike was officially called off. The minister stated that the department had issued an order sanctioning Rs 406 crore to DME for FY 2024-25 to ensure there were no delays in stipends. He also mentioned that the GO on civil works had been issued and that the tender process would soon commence.
Regarding the new OGH building, the minister stated that the issue is pending in the Telangana High Court and is therefore subjudice. “The government will wait for the court’s order and will make a decision based on the outcome,” he said.
“Besides meeting few demands, the government has assured us that an amendment to the salary of superspeciality resident doctors will be made as soon as possible. They will also initiate communication with the home department regarding the deployment of the Special Protection Force (SPF) at hospitals. Additionally, we have been assured that the proposal for deploying college buses in new medical colleges will be implemented,” said Dr. G Sai Sri Harsha, President of T-JUDA.
Published - June 26, 2024 08:56 am IST
