Doctors strike continues in Rajasthan for third day, 19 held

Patients and their family members continued to suffer as in-service doctors in Rajasthan remained on strike for the third day today while police arrested 19 of them.
Health services crippled in government hospitals especially in primary and community health care centres where in-service doctors staff were mostly employed.
As many as 19 doctors were arrested today from different districts under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA), taking the total to 84 so far, an official said.
"We have arrested a total of 84 doctors under RESMA in the last three days. Nineteen were arrested on Monday, Additional Director General (Law and Order) NRK Reddy said.

The doctors went on strike on December 16 when police started its crackdown and arrested a few of them under the Act, which was invoked on Thursday when doctors warned of a strike from December 18.
Fearing their arrest, all office bearers of the all- Rajasthan in-service government doctors association remained unavailable for their comment.
Doctors are on strike alleging that government was not implementing the agreement that they reached in a meeting on November 13 and following transfer of 12 doctors, including ARISDA president Dr Ajay Chaudhary.