Maharashtra Doctors Call off Strike, To Resume Work From Friday

In a late night development, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) on Thursday urged all resident medicos to call off their four-day-long mass CL agitation immediately.

The MARD said the Bombay High Court had taken a very sympathetic view of the doctors concerns about physical security and related issues, which it would monitor every 15 days.

In view of the same and high court orders, MARD requested all doctors to resume work immediately, MARD President Yashowardhan Kabra said in a statement.

Hospitals expect doctors to resume normal duties from Friday morning.

Also Read: Over 20K Doctors in Delhi, Guwahati Join Maharashtra Strike

Earlier in the day, the high court directed the government and hospital administrations to provide at least 500 security guards in these state hospitals, including four in Mumbai, by 5 April and the remaining 600 by 15 April.

The court said it will monitor the issue of security of medicos at their workplaces at regular intervals and posted the public



interest litigation for hearing after a fortnight.

"We are awaiting a certified copy of the court orders; we will decide when to resume duties after studying it," a member of the MARD had said.

Both MARD and Indian Medical Association (IMA) welcomed the high court ruling but pointed out that the ground realities have not yet changed.

"The court has directed to provide security in all hospitals by April 5. But attacks on doctors have not yet stopped, with at least three assaults reported in the past 24 hours," IMA Secretary Parthiv Sanghvi said.

The high court asked authorities to permit only two relatives per patient inside the hospital and said the government should deploy security at various hospitals as assured.

MARD, whose around 4,000 members were on mass casual leave since Monday in all public hospitals, also filed an affidavit to say the resident doctors were prepared to work but the government and hospital administrations should assure them of safety and security.