The Madras High Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday a petition seeking a direction to the State government to bring to an end the ongoing strike by government doctors since. The petitioner A.P. Suryaprakasam argued that communicable diseases were on the rise due to the monsoon and poor patients were in dire need of treatment at government hospitals.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee accepted a request made by the petitioner for an urgent hearing of his case since there was no sign of the doctors withdrawing their strike despite several warnings issued by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar.
Mr. Suryaprakasam submitted that cases of hundreds of patients suffering from dengue had been reported across the State. Most of them approach only government hospitals for treatment. In such a situation, it was not justifiable on the part of the doctors to go on strike and put their lives at risk, he said.
“Whatever may be the justification by the striking doctors, it cannot be a reason for denying people affected by dengue and other communicable diseases proper and speedy treatment at government hospitals. Now, the common man thinks his fundamental right to health is taken hostage by the adamant attitude of both the government and the doctors,” he contended.
The prime demand of the doctors appeared to be an increase in their monthly salary from ₹80,000 to ₹1.2 lakh. “The striking doctors and the government cannot take a strident and adamant position. Some solution via media has to be found by both sides in the interest of poor people,” his affidavit read.
