UP doctors' strike continues

The strike follows the arrest of junior doctors after a scuffle with a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator

Patients across Uttar Pradesh continued to suffer Monday as the strike by doctors entered its fourth day.

Junior doctors and other medical practitioners have struck work in many parts of the state following arrest of two dozen junior doctors in Kanpur after a scuffle with a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator.

Following the arrest of junior doctors and cane charge, doctors have stalled work at the OPD, emergency and trauma centres.

Doctors at the King George's Medical University, Lucknow; SN Medical college, Agra; Gorakhpur Medical College and hospitals at Pillibhit, Kannuaj, Etawah, Bulandshahr have also closed down.

With the talks between the striking doctors and Health Minister Ahmad Hasan late Sunday failed, a delegation of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will meet President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi. They will inform the president of the police excesses against doctors and complaint against Kanpur SSP Yashaswi Yadav.

Kanpur IMA president Aarti Lalchandani, who has been leading the charge against SP legislator Irfan Solanki and Yadav, was Monday booked by police on a complaint of inciting doctors for the strike.

Police also carried raids at her house. Lalchandani said the strike would not be called off until the 24 doctors are released without any conditions.

The Kanpur police, however, struck a discordant note Monday and sent the arrested doctors to jail.

Striking doctors alleged that since both Yadav and Solanki were close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the state officials were not paying heed to them and siding with the duo.