Army doctors pitches in to treat patients at Jodhpur

The Army doctors have come to the rescue of patients in Jodhpur during the week-long strike by doctors'.

The strike was called off late Sunday night after successful talks with the state government.

The Army's Jodhpur based Konark Corps pressed in medical help by fielding Army doctors here on the request of district administration.

Three doctors, one each was provided at the government medical facility at District Hospital Paota, operated the Out Patient Department (OPD) in these places and provided consultation to patients.

The doctors of Konark Corps were already assisting the civil administration in providing medical care at Jaisalmer for the last few days due to the strike.

On Sunday, Rajasthan Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf held a meeting with a five-member delegation representing the doctors.

The union decided to return to work after the last nine hours of talks which lasted from 2 pm to 11 pm yesterday.

Earlier on Sunday, 14 doctors were detained under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) for refusing to call off their strike.

While 100 doctors agreed to resume their work, the police launched a search operation on Thursday evening for the rest, arresting six doctors on Thursday and eight on Friday.

The Rajasthan government had set November 9, the fourth day of the deadlock between them and the doctors, as the deadline for doctors to resume duty.

Earlier on November 6, all the practising doctors in Rajasthan decided to go on a mass leave, in support of their pending demands before the state government.

The 33 long-pending demands by the doctors of the state include the formation of a separate cadre for in-service doctors, Rs 10,000 grade pay benefit for doctors, and running government health centres in a single shift, among others.