The resident doctors attached to the seven government medical colleges in Rajasthan on Thursday called off their 11-day-old strike, which had crippled health care services across the State. The medicos decided to withdraw their strike after the State government agreed in principle to their demands and gave a written assurance to them.
The State government had earlier removed about 3,700 resident doctors from service and appointed 1,371 new medicos, besides asking the striking doctors to vacate their hostel rooms in the medical colleges.
Resident doctors were protesting against the decision to send their answer-books to other States for evaluation. The change in the examination and evaluation pattern was introduced after the Medical Council of India issued new guidelines.
While long queues were witnessed in the out-patient departments of hospitals attached to medical colleges, all surgeries, except those of emergency, were postponed during the past 11 days.
Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors vice-president Akash Mathur said the “communcation gap” between doctors and State Medical and Health Minister Rajendra Rathore had been cleared and their talks were held in a healthy atmosphere.
After the talks, the doctors decided to join their duties from 8 p.m. on Thursday. The talks initiated earlier by a seven-member committee appointed by the government had remained inconclusive.