Doctors Strike In Telangana: Junior Medical Staff Boycott Work Over Unresolved Issues

The Telangana junior doctors initiated an indefinite strike starting Monday, with members of the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) submitting an official strike notice to the Director of Medical Education (DME) on June 18. "All junior doctors across the State will participate in the strike, leading to a boycott of outpatient (OP) services, elective surgeries, and ward duties," stated T-JUDA. The strike is in response to several unresolved issues, including the need for a green channel for timely stipend disbursement, honorarium for superspeciality senior residents, deployment of police personnel to prevent violence against doctors in hospitals, construction of new hostels, adequate faculty at medical colleges, and a new building for Osmania General Hospital (OGH). 

Watch: Telangana's Junior Doctors Association initiates an indefinite strike on Monday, June 24, boycotting outpatient services. Demands include timely stipends and the cessation of violence pic.twitter.com/81LDohR0vd

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"Despite multiple discussions with the concerned authorities, there has been no satisfactory resolution to our demands," T-JUDA emphasized. Prior to the strike, junior doctors held various protests: a black badge protest on June 20, a black dress protest on June 21, and a blindfold protest on June 22. "These protests highlight the government’s disregard for improving the health infrastructure," said Dr. G Sai Harsha, president of T-JUDA."The strike will continue until our issues are comprehensively addressed. We regret the inconvenience caused to patients and the general public. 

Emergency services will continue to operate as usual," the doctors stated. T-JUDA specifically demands a green channel for timely disbursement of stipends to junior doctors, house surgeons, postgraduates, and senior residents. They also seek the appointment of super-speciality graduates as assistant professors on a contractual basis with a monthly salary of ₹1.25 lakh. Additionally, the doctors demand that the government adhere to fair admission practices for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh students, opposing the allocation of 15% seats for AP students in Telangana medical colleges. They also call for enhanced security for doctors at government medical colleges and hospitals, hostel facilities for PG students as per NMC norms, and the construction of a new Osmania General Hospital (OGH) building, among other issues.