Doctors end their strike after Allahabad High Court's assurance of time bound probe

Indian Medical Association (IMA) called off doctors' strike on Thursday after Allahabad High Court promised judicial inquiry in arrest of doctors after a scuffle with a legislator.

"In the judicial report, it is mentioned that in three weeks they will finish the inquiry. Since this statement has been made by the High Court, we respect the decision of the Court," said Secretary General of IMA, Narendra Sahni.

The doctors also decided to withdraw their stir after a delegation led by chairman of the action committee of IMA, Devendra Lal Chandani, met Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Sahni stated that Yadav promised that 23 junior doctors, who were arrested over clash with police and supporters of a local legislator, will be released.

"We met Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday and also showed him photos after which he understood gravity of the situation and assured that he will consider our demand regarding the release of 23 innocent students who were arrested and were also baton charged but the people involved in this were left free," said Sahni.

The stand-off started when a patient at a hospital in Kanpur approached legislator of SP, Irfan Solanki, to be accorded preferential treatment by hospital authorities, but doctors refused to pay heed to the recommendation.

Later, Solanki walked into the hospital and started a heated argument with the doctors. Some doctors allegedly attacked the legislator, resulting in head injuries to him.

As a result, police baton charged the doctors and many junior doctors were arrested in raids conducted in hostels after the incident. This led to resentment among the doctors and called for strike in a few hospitals, which took a toll on five lives.

Meanwhile, doctors in Lucknow remained firm on their stand that the strike shall continue until the junior doctors were released.

The doctors in Lucknow stood united and were seen wearing black bands around their arms as a mark of protest.

The victims of the strike were the patients who continued to suffer due to doctors' stir that hit health services in several parts of Uttar Pradesh.

The doctors in Kanpur had also accused the police of planting firearms in the hostels and victimising medical students.

The protesting doctors had refused to end their agitation until their peers were released from police custody. An investigation into the matter has been ordered by the provincial government.