T JUDA puts off strike call decision for 2 weeks

​Hyderabad: The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T JUDA), which announced boycott of elective duties from August 16 demanding hike of stipend, has decided to put off its decision for two weeks bringing relief to the government as services in major State-hospitals like Osmania, Gandhi, Niloufer, TB and Chest Hospital, ENT, Fever Hospital, Sarojini Eye hospital etc would have been hit.

Members of T JUDA held State executive meeting at Osmania Medical College  on Wednesday to discuss the government assurance that came in the wake of their stir for last few days. The decision to postpone strike comes after a  written assurance by Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr K Ramesh Reddy to JUDA a day earlier. However, junior doctors will continue their fight for realising demands by wearing black badges to duties. 

Also, they resolved to renew their agitation after two weeks if government failed to keep its word. Upping the ante, they decided to boycott emergency duties to exert pressure on the government. It may be mentioned here that an assurance letter was given by DME in which it was stated that government was positively considering junior doctors demands to implement 15 per cent enhancement (given every two years) and 40 per cent hike in stipend amount  to post-graduate doctors doing super-specialty, broad specialty as well as house surgeons. 

In the letter, DME urged them to defer the strike call for a period of two weeks. There was difference of opinion within JUDA, with some voices demanding more clarity from government about implementation following which junior doctors were closeted for one more time on Wednesday.