Government doctors in Jammu call off stir

JAMMU - Government doctors in Jammu Tuesday called off their three week old strike following an assurance from the state government to accept their demands.

Both sides made this announcement at a press conference Tuesday evening.

Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, who headed a ministerial panel negotiating with the striking doctors, said that it has been agreed that the doctors’ demands would be accepted by Nov 16.

“We could have done it earlier too, but because of the shifting of the seat of the government from Srinagar to Jammu as part of bi-annual durbar move, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit tomorrow (Wednesday), the action on today’s agreement would be taken in the next two and a half weeks,” he said.

The agreement with doctors also resulted in a commitment by the doctors to resume their duties in a normal fashion from Wednesday onwards, Rather added.

“We are satisfied with the nature of the talks and assurances given by the finance minister,” said Satinder Singh, the president of Junior Doctors Association.

Health and medicare services across Jammu region had been crippled due to the strike.

As per the agreement, all the 27 doctors suspended for their role during the agitation, would be reinstated and the government would withdraw its move for fresh recruitment of doctors to replace the striking medicos.