More than 7,000 resident doctors in govt colleges go on strike in Maharashtra

Resident doctors raise slogans during their protest demanding payment of their COVID-19 pandemic arrears, at Nair Hospital in Mumbai. Pic/PTI

More than 7,000 resident doctors at government colleges in Maharashtra went on strike on Monday over a range of issues, including the quality of hostels and filling of vacant posts of assistant and associate professors.

Talking to reporters, state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan said he has asked resident doctors to engage in a dialogue and urged them not to stretch the matter further.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), which has called the strike, has claimed that students at government colleges were facing problems due to poor quality of hostels.

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The resident doctors have also pressed for the recruitment of 1,432 senior resident doctors and demanded filling vacant posts of associate and assistant professors.

The minister said half of the demands of the striking doctors were being approved immediately, and Rs 12 crore has been given to the public works department (PWD) for repair works.

"We are positive about everything. They (doctors) should have spoken to us before going on strike," Mahajan said.

Talking to PTI, MARD president Avinash Dahiphale said the association has not received any proposal from the state government for talks.

Resident doctors are a crucial cog in the government and civic body run hospitals, which see heavy footfall of patients.

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