Jharkhand government doctors began a three-days strike on Wednesday pressing for various demands, including implementation of the Medical Protection Act.The strike was called by the Jharkhand Health Services Association (JHASA), which is supported by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The IMA Jharkhand chapter will join the strike on September 30, along with private doctors."We have started boycotting work from Wednesday to press for our demands. The emergency services were excluded from the strike," JHASA's Secretary Vimlesh Kumar told IANS. The strike has affected the Out-Patient Department services here, with patients facing a tough time as doctors refuse to treat them.Besides demanding implementation of the Medical Protection Act, the striking doctors have opposed the state government's move to ban private practice without giving a non-practicing allowance.The doctors have demanded that their working hours should be fixed and have opposed a biometric attendance system.
"If our demands are not taken care of then we will opt for mass resignation. All the doctors will submit their resignation by October 2 and it would be handed over to the Chief Minister on October 15." said Vimlesh Kumar.According to the World Health Organisation norms Jharkhand should have 7,500 doctors, but there are only 1,100. Jharkhand Health Minister Ramchanra Vansi has appealed to the doctors to rejoin work.