After 13 days, members of the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of BJ Medical College (BJMC) ended their strike after Rushikesh Patel, the Gujarat Health Minister, assured that their demands would be taken into consideration and discussed by the state health authorities.
The association issued a statement saying, “JDA BJMC are withholding our satyagaha in faith of assurance from Chief Minister and health minister. We will join our duties from 28/06/2022, 8:00 am. This positive step is aimed at patient care, not in fear of strict actions to be taken from authority. Hoping for a positive response from the government.”
The BJMC is affiliated to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
Patel reportedly held a meeting with the dean and post-graduate course director of BJMC and Civil Hospital medical superintendent Monday at Gandhinagar.
He is also scheduled to meet representatives of the JDA on Tuesday.
The BJMC JDA has been demanding equating the bond period service with senior residency duration owing to their service in Covid-19 wards for nearly 17 months.
On May 28 and June 6, the BJMC post-graduate course director and medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital respectively, wrote to the additional chief secretary of health endorsing and recommending for counting bond service equal to the residency period.
Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions.
Students in Gujarat are also required to serve a year-long medical bond period as rural tenure, which is distinct from the residency period, if they are admitted through state quota seats.
Medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr Rakesh Joshi said, “(there has been an) unconditional withdrawal of strike in anticipation of positive consideration of their demand.”
Notably, following state health government directives ordering action against junior doctors on strike, the college dean issued a final eviction notice on June 21, directing the protesting doctors to vacate their hostel premises “within 24 hours.”