Junior docs on hunger strike seeking recruitment of asst profs

Junior doctors here held a one-day hunger strike Friday, demanding immediate recruitment of assistant professors by the Telangana government.

The strike was held at state-run Gandhi and Osmania hospitals, chairman of Telangana Junior Doctors Association P S Vijayender said.

The junior doctors have been boycotting elective services since the last two days.

The association demands that the government abolish recruitment of doctors on contract basis, Vijayender said.

"We demand immediate recruitment of assistant professors. We also demand complete abolition of contract recruitment of doctors," he said.

The association sought appointment of a committee, also comprising its members, to study the government's move to increase the retirement age of teaching faculty in government medical colleges from 58 to 65.

The association submitted a memorandum addressed to Governor ESL Narasimhan at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday, urging him not to promulgate an ordinance on increasing the retirement age.

Also, the association contended that increasing the retirement age would "cause huge loss to young doctors as there will be no recruitment for the next 10 years".