Junior doctors strike enters second day in Bihar

The junior doctors of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and Darbhanga Medical College Hospital (DMCH) are on strike demanding introduction of salary system instead of stipends.

Describing the strike as "uncalled for", state Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav appealed to the doctors to resume work as the state government had, in principle, agreed to increase their stipend from Rs 13,500 per month to Rs 25,000 per month.
Criticising the strike that was called without a prior notice, Yadav said the doctors should have waited till the state cabinet's decision on raising their stipend.

Admitting that the works at the two hospitals were crippled because of the strike, the minister appealed to them to resume their works without any delay.
He said arrangements of about 20 doctors have been made for the PMCH here to man the emergency wards and more doctors were being mobilised from private nursing homes and other government hospitals to ensure smooth medical services.

Meanwhile, the Junior Doctors' Association president Rajiv Babu ruled out "possibility" of ending the strike unless the state government agreed to introduce salary system for them instead of stipend.

Claiming that they were not disturbing the seniors at the two hospitals, Babu said the state authorities must convene an emergency meeting with the doctors to discuss their demands.

"We are not resorting to any kind of violent protest like locking the departments," he said.