Resident Doctors of Maharashtra organized under banner of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) went on a one day strike on March 25, 2011. MARD has 3,500 members. Along with the Resident Doctors, interns also boycotted work.
Resident Doctors of Maharashtra organized under banner of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) went on a one day strike on March 25, 2011. MARD has 3,500 members. Along with the Resident Doctors, interns also boycotted work.
Medical interns are demanding hike in monthly stipend from the present Rs 2,550. These Medical interns work as much as 20 hours a day keeping the OPD’s functioning. According to Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI), other states have already raised the stipends of interns. There are more than 5,000 medical interns.
The doctors are opposing the hike in fees for post graduate courses. They are also demanding security for doctors by implementation of the Doctor Protection Act, as there have been many cases of violence against Doctors unleashed by unhappy relatives of patients in government hospitals. The Doctors are also demanding health insurance.
The strike by resident doctors follows a one day strike by para medical personal. The para medical staff are demanding continuity of their contracts. These contracts expired on February 1. According to the para medical staff, there are over 2,500 vacancies for para medical personal which the state has not filled. Instead workers are hired on contract and kept on tenter hooks over their livelihood.