With the junior doctors threatening to intensify their protest across the State, Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas said talks will be held with the agitating junior doctors to resolve all issues amicably. All efforts would be made to ensure that junior doctors would not launch their strike.
The government was already taking up measures to fulfil 300 vacant doctors’ posts, besides recruitment of paramedical staff in the State, the Minister told media persons on the sidelines of participating in different programmes at Vissannapeta in Nuzvid division on Tuesday.
Following the junior doctors strike in Telangana State, the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) launched a protest at Government General Hospital on Monday demanding abolishment of mandatory rural service, filling up the assistant professor posts under non-service quota, implementation of “mutual agreement” entered by the government and junior doctors, which lays emphasis on special protection force, emergency services upgradation in teaching hospitals etc.
APJUDA president P. Kranthi Kumar, who claimed to have submitted a representation to the Minister in the city on Tuesday morning, said the Minister had assured to hold talks with the association. About Rs.70 crore was earmarked for giving all the government hospitals in the State a facelift with new flooring, painting and other amenities. In addition to this, proposals were being prepared to strengthen and improve facilities at primary health centres for offering better health services to the people, he said.
There will be special wards in every hospital and fee will be collected from patients utilising those wards, he said.
