The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ESMA invoked, medicos’ strike banned

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Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

ESMA invoked, medicos’ strike banned

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The State government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and banned the on-going strike by junior doctors in the State.

The step has been taken to avoid further hardship and inconvenience to public caused by the strike by the A.P. Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA). An order issued in this connection has listed the services of the junior doctors in the State as essential service and brought it under the purview of the ESMA. The order came into force with immediate effect.

Strike continues

The agitation by the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) at Gandhi Hospital continued on Tuesday with the striking medicos shifting their camp inside the hospital for their indefinite fast.

“Our agitation is continuing as there has been no response from the government side,” said S. Nagesh of APJUDA. They shifted inside the hospital after police landed at the hospital on Monday night and tried to shift them from the premises. “They came late in the night and manhandled us forcing us to go inside and continue the strike,” he said.

The police maintained that they had received a call from the hospital authorities on the deteriorating health condition of agitating doctors and went to shift them. “However, they resisted our effort and at the intervention of hospital authorities, we returned back,” said Y.V. Ramana, ACP (Gopalpuram).

High drama was witnessed on Tuesday morning when the police returned again but were forced to stay away after the junior doctors holding kerosene bottles threatened self-immolation, he added.

High Court directive

Legal Correspondent writes: A division bench of the A.P. High court comprising Chief Justice A. R. Dave and Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy on Tuesday said that the government ought to have tackled the issue of agitation by the junior doctors more deftly and adjourned the case to Wednesday. The bench was dealing with a public interest litigation filed by K. Prasada Rao and others. It may be recalled that the bench had wanted the strike to be called off. On Tuesday, the bench was told that the issue is being discussed at highest level and appropriate measures will be taken. The case stands posted to Wednesday.

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