A proposed plan by resident doctors to go on a mass leave in Mumbai over the pending demand of a revision in stipend has been put on the back burner.
According tou00a0Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), they decided to put the plan on hold till February 15 after having meetings with the authorities about the issues regarding bond service and revised stipends. They though held that the plan was merely on hold and not dropped because they were "only getting assurances".u00a0u00a0
Nearly 1,700 resident doctors had earlier not reported to work when about 3,500 doctors from civic and government-run hospitals in the state were a part of the ‘mass bunk’ called by MARD on January 24. As doctors are not allowed to go on a “strike” under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act the resident doctors went on a mass bunk.
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These doctors resumed duty on January 25 at 8.00am after a 24-hour mass bunk.u00a0
Some of the demands of the resident doctors are, revision in stipend (as per the minutes of the meeting held in 2007) which was never made since 2009, releasing a student doctor from the bond if a posting isn’t declared within three months of the results and an experience certificate after completing the bond service.
However, Dr. Sunny Khandare, President, Central MARD had told MiD DAY that they would call for an indefinite strike starting January 31 if their demands are not addressed.
However, when contacted regarding their decision about the same, Dr Khandare said, “ We had a meeting with the concerned officials on Tuesday evening around 5.30pm. In the meeting they once again assured us that our demands would be met. We stressed for a written confirmation from them about their assurances.”
He added, “We also demanded for written assurance of revising our stipends and also paying us the difference that we were deprived of for so many years. They asked for a month’s time but we have given them a deadline until February 15. If they do not meet our demands by then, we would surely call for an indefinite mass bunk across the state.”
MiD DAY has got a confirmation that Mumbai High court has sent a notice to MARD in relation to their mass bunk observed on January 24.
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