Bangalore: Junior Doctors Call off Strike as High Court Cracks the Whip
The Hindu
Bangalore, May 5: After receiving brickbats both from the Karnataka High Court and the State Government, junior doctors called off their four-day strike late on Monday evening.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday warned the protesters against continuing with their strike and decided to initiate contempt proceedings against them. The court had also asked the Government to initiate action against the errant doctors and ensure that the hospitals became fully functional by evening. A Special Bench comprising Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran and Justice N. Kumar passed the order after the High Court took suo motu notice of the strike and media reports on the plight of the poor and needy patients.
Special sitting
The Bench met at the home office of the Chief Justice. This is the first instance in recent years that a special sitting was held at the residence of the Chief Justice.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who chaired a high-level meeting on the doctors’ strike, categorically ruled out a stipend hike for junior doctors as the election code of conduct is still in force in the State.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said their demands would be looked into only in June after consultation with the Finance Department officials. He directed G.T. Subash, Dean and Director of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), to terminate the internship of the dissenting medicos.
Taken aback by the developments, the office-bearers of the Bangalore Chapter of Junior Doctors’ Association held a marathon meeting late into the evening to convince the members on the legal ramifications of their protest.
“The Chief Minister has promised to look into our demands after June, and there is no point in fighting. We have suspended our agitation in accordance with the High Court’s direction,” association president Srinivas Radder told The Hindu.
All the office-bearers resigned from their posts subsequently but decided to wear black badges till June.
Doctors castigated
Earlier, when the matter came up for hearing, the Bench turned its ire on the association, observing that the Government was spending Rs. 20 lakh on the education of each medical student. “This is the tax payer’s money: return it with interest. How can you hold the society to ransom? Don’t you know that it is the poor and the needy who come to government hospitals?” it asked.
The Bench also summoned the officials in-charge of Medical Education and Health, BMCRI and Medical Council of India (MCI).
They and Additional Advocate-General Ashok Harnahalli said that barring the stipend increase, the Government had met almost all the demands of the striking doctors.
The doctors disputed this contention saying that except in BMRCI facilities were non-existent in other hospitals across the State.
‘No excuse’
The Bench, however, said this was no excuse to go on strike and asked Mr. Harnahalli and MCI advocate Khetty to initiate action against the strikers.
The State Government was asked to file its affidavit detailing the facilities available in hospitals.
The junior doctors association too was asked to file an affidavit, specifying the reason for going on strike.
The Bench adjourned further hearing of the case to Tuesday saying that a regular Vacation Bench would take up the matter.