The strike of junior doctors and interns of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s BJ Medical campus continues on the second day.

Today, the students adopted ‘silent protest’ by wearing masks on their faces, symbolising the government’s efforts to silence their voices.

What led to the strike?

Clearing the air, Shashank Asara, Vice President of the Junior Doctors Association at Civil Hospital, “There was a negotiation with Rushikesh Patel regarding a 30% stipend increase, which he had noted in his diary, and we were assured it would happen. However, when the decision came through, it was only a 20% increase, which is unacceptable. Now, they are deploying police to deal with us.”

He informed Gujarat Samachar Digital, “In the morning, we were warned by the police that if we didn’t stop the strike, they would be forced to take strict action against us. A force of 100 police officers was deployed on campus, and even the electricity was cut off.”

JD Zala, Shahibaug Police Inspector, stated, “Right now, we have deployed 100 police officers in the field to monitor the situation. As long as the silent protest remains peaceful, we are fine with it.”

All that the 1,300 resident doctors and intern doctors are demanding is a 40% increase in their stipends and a regular raise every three years. 

When the junior doctors went on strike demanding 40% hike on stipends instead of 20% on Sept 2, the government claimed that the junior doctors in the state are provided  higher stipends than other states, it is inhumane to go on a strike at the expense of patient care, and the act of using it as a  threat is completely unacceptable.

Moreover, the stipend for interns and resident doctors in Gujarat is entirely tax-free, according to the government.

Also read:

Junior doctors in Ahmedabad on strike, demand 40% hike in stipend

Gujarat govt talks tough over medicos seeking more stipend