With pressure mounting on doctors to call off their strike, they have opened an alternative site. The fulcrum of the strike may soon shift from AIIMS to IIT.
NEW DELHI: With pressure mounting on doctors to call off their strike, they have opened an alternative site. The fulcrum of the strike may soon shift from AIIMS to IIT.
Some students of IIT, Delhi, on a hunger strike at AIIMS, have now returned to their campus. “Many alumni are willing to join the strike because the government views the protests as being merely a doctors’ movement,” said Tusshar Kumar from IIT.
Although the SC added pressure on the agitators on Tuesday by directing them to end their strike or face contempt of court, the students — after seeking legal opinion -have decided not to relent.
That the students have the best legal help was evident when they were seen receiving advice from former Chief Justice RC Lahoti and former Solicitor General Harish Salve. “Our lawyers have told us that since no order or notification has been received by us, there cannot be a contempt of court. Also, what works in our favour is the fact that there is no direct order issued by the SC specifying doctors,” said Dr Neha Gami from Maulana Azad Medical College.
The government’s patience, however, is running out. Union health minister Ambumani Ramadoss has threatened to cut salaries and terminate the jobs of doctors and faculty members participating in the strike. The threat negates the assurance made on Sunday night by the Prime Minister that no action would be taken against those on strike.
“People can have whatever ideologies they want but not at the cost of work. Since patients are suffering, I have to maintain services,” said Ramadoss.
Hospitals have been ordered to effect fresh recruitments from Wednesday. Retired doctors from the army and railways have also been called in. “Except for army and railway doctors, none of the new recruitments will be ad hoc,” said Ramadoss.
He also said that the faculty members and doctors who instigated the students have been identified and warned.
AIIMS seemed to be a hotbed for confusion and controversy on Tuesday as contradictory statements were made every half-an-hour. The doctors’ general body meeting (GBM) lasted four hours, during which a decision was apparently made that the strike would continue. However, no official statement was issued and another GBM was called immediately afterwards, which carried on late into the night.
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