SCB junior doctors to continue stir

Cuttack: House surgeons and undergraduate students SCB Medical College and Hospital here who have been on cease-work over an alleged assault on a colleague and press for demands, will continue to stage the stir for an indefinite period of time, the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) informed on Thursday.

Citing unhappiness over meeting with the health minister Pratap Jena, Prasenjit Patnaik, president of All Odisha House Surgeon Union said the discussions were unproductive but the minister is hopeful of fulfilling demands. “We want a written assurance from the government after which we will call off our strike,” he said.

Initially protesting an alleged assault on one of their colleagues by a relative of a patient on Tuesday night, the junior doctors have boycotted duties since Wednesday morning demanding fulfillment of demands including hike in stipend, transfer of hospital superintendent, safety of the doctors, installation of CCTV cameras and punishment for the accused.

A 3-member of the association met the health minister earlier on Thursday and apprised him about their demands but later in the evening the body decided to continue with the stir.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities informed that the stir has not affected the health services since the state government had made it clear that if necessary, doctors would be roped into the hospital to assist.