Bihar Government Doctors Threaten to Go on Indefinite Strike

From midnight of Wednesday, the Bihar Government doctors have struck work for two days and have threatened to go on indefinite strike from February 21 if their demands are not met.

About 4,200 Bihar Government doctors have struck work for two days strike from midnight Wednesday to protest against the State Government's failure to meet their long pending demands.

Agitating under the aegis of the Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA), the doctors are demanding central pay, specialist cadre, restoration of health directorate's power, and perks and allowances at par with central government doctors.

According to a BSHSA spokesman, the strike has hit 25 district hospitals, 70 referral hospitals, 23 sub-divisional hospitals, 533 primary health centres and 1,259 additional primary health centres.

All 3000 medical officers and about 1200 contractual doctors have also joined the stir.

The BSHSA has threatened to go on indefinite strike from February 21 if their demands are not met.

Doctors of state's medical college hospitals -- Patna Medical College Hospital, Nalanda Medical College Hospital, S K Medical College Hospital, A N Magadh Medical College Hospital, J N Medical College Hospital and Darbhanga Medical College Hospital - - are not on strike.

Meanwhile, the state's Health Minister Chandramohan Rai said that additional arrangements are being provided to patients in government hospitals.

'The government was prepared to accept all the demands provided the agitating doctors swore affidavit promising not to continue private practice. The government will also provide non-practising allowance to them,' Rai said.

Besides, Rai said the government proposes to raise a special police battalion for the protection of doctors.

Source-ANI
SPH/L