Hyderabad HC tells junior doctors to call off their stir

The court said the junior doctors were not daily-wage workers nor did they fall under the Trade Union Act or the Shops and Establishment Workers Act. It said if they had any problems they could approach the court.

The bench asked under which law were the junior doctors permitted to go on strike.

Counsel representing the junior doctors submitted that every time they went on strike, the court asked them to get back to work and directed the government to solve their problems. The assurances given by the government were never implemented, he said.

The bench asked what assurances were given to the junior doctors in earlier instances and asked the government to place the information before it. It then asked the junior doctors’ counsel to instruct them to withdraw the strike. Counsel urged the court to grant him a day to get instructions from his clients.

The court made it clear that it would deal with the matter seriously if the junior doctors failed to join their duties by Wednesday, when the next hearing is scheduled. Asked about the court directions, the junior doctors said they would wait till Wednesday for the next hearing and then decide.

Earlier, the JUDA said they would continue with the strike despite a warning from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.The CM had on Monday morning had asked the junior doctors to not protest against rural service. He said it was an Act of the government and must be implemented.

The junior doctors claimed that the Chief Minister had not been properly briefed by Director of Health and Medical Education Dr P. Srinivas.

Dr Bhanu, a junior doctor, said, “We are very clear that we want permanent rural postings and we are not against rural service. The strike is going to continue. We have faith in the court and will wait for the judgement.”

Deputy Chief Minister Dr T. Rajaiah said he had five doctors in his immediate family who would have to opt for rural service and he would insist that they go. He also explained that permanent recruitment was a different issue and required to be tackled differently.

He said, “The government has done all the talking. The Chief Minister too has asked parents to counsel their children and get them back to work. They will not be allowed to submit their thesis to the university if their attendance is not complete.”