Officials directed to implement striking Delhi doctors demands

 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the state health department to implement the demands of the resident doctors in the capital's government hospitals who went on an indefinite strike on Monday.

The various issues raised by them include lack of security and life- saving drugs in hospitals.

"Most demands of striking doctors are genuine. I have directed the health department to implement them. The health department should have resolved it earlier," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

He said the government was committed to providing the best health facilities to the masses which was not possible without the cooperation of the doctors.

Over 20,000 resident doctors in 25 Delhi government hospitals on Monday went on strike demanding a slew of reforms in the Delhi government hospitals.

The doctors, under the banner of the Federation Of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), refused to resume work till their demands were met.

FORDA is an association of 25 Delhi-based government hospitals.

Doctors had gone on strike in February too, after which Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain assured them better working conditions.

"We are not going to end our strike until all our demands are met. Each time we are given assurances and asked to end our strike. This time we won't do that," FORDA president Pankaj Solanki told IANS.

He said faculty members and senior doctors were taking care of patients and dealing with emergency cases.

FORDA had in February urged union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to address the issues related to security in the city's government hospitals.

The letter was written after four incidents of physical assault by kin of patients at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital.

The striking doctors said pick-pockets and thieves roamed unchecked within hospital premises, stealing patients' belongings and cash. - IANS