New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS): ENT surgeon A.K. Rai of Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital was on Monday appointed the new medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital.

Confirming the appointment, Rai told IANS: "Yes, I have received the orders to join as the new medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital. I will join soon."

The appointment was made after incumbent Rajpal was transferred to the Delhi Health Services (DHS). The order was conveyed to him through a letter on Monday.

"I just received a fax some time ago about the order stating my transfer to the Delhi government. This was done arbitrarily without any reason. I will try to find out why it was done," Rajpal told IANS.

Asked which hospital of the Delhi government he was being transferred to, he said he will get to know about it some days later as the procedure progresses.

"Before joining Safdarjung Hospital, I was with a Delhi government hospital itself. So let me see how it has been done," he said.

Rai was heading the ENT department in central Delhi's RML Hospital. He had headed the ENT department of Safdarjung in his earlier stint with the hospital.

Following the development, resident doctors of Safdarjang decided to go on an indefinite strike Tuesday onwards.

"This is complete injustice to Rajpal. As this was done despite good work being done by him, we have decided to go on an indefinite strike from tomorrow (Tuesday)," a resident doctor told IANS.