Maha: 4,000 doctors to go on indefinite strike over demands

Around 4,000 doctors across Maharashtra have decided to go on an indefinite strike from tomorrow to protest against "failure" of state government to fulfil the "long pending" demands of the resident doctors.
"We have been requesting the state government to fulfil our valid demands regarding bond service from a very long time. Despite regular follow ups, the government has failed to meet our demands. This is why, we have decided to go on an indefinite strike from Saturday with a hope that this will opens the eyes of the state government," Medical Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) president Dr Santosh Wakchaure told PTI.

All 14 government colleges in Maharashtra and three civic-run hospitals in Mumbai will take part in this protest.
He said that the state government should ensure that proper bond service strategies were implemented.
"We want proper work schedule for our doctors. We also want the government to provide speciality service mechanisms in government hospitals so that every patient can be treated," he said.
He demanded that senior resident posts should be created for non-clinical and para-clinical branches and they should be considered in the bonded service.
"We have also demanded a special medical officer post for all branches and people from the other backward class (OBC), scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) should be given treatment free of cost," Wakchaure said.

According to him, during the strike senior doctors and professors will be available for emergency cases, but patients coming to the OPD or for general health issues might face a problem.