Medicos threaten to intensify stir

HYDERABAD: Patient care was hit at Gandhi Hospital with junior doctors, who did not get their stipend for the last five months, boycotting non-emergency duties on Wednesday.
The medicos, who had struck work on Tuesday too, have threatened to intensify their stir from November 27 by even boycotting emergencies. They have demanded payment of their stipend arrears and regularise it.
The 150 house surgeons are given a stipend of Rs 5,000 monthly.���We gave representation to the chief minister, who promised a response in 48 hours, but even after 48 days, we are yet to receive response from the government. We are making rounds of the offices of the principal secretary, Health, and the
Director Medical Education (DME),��� AP Junior Doctors��� Association, Gandhi Hospital unit, general secretary R Ravindra Prasad said.
He said that the house surgeons were unable to pay mess bills and room rent as Gandhi Hospital has accommodation facility for just 30 house surgeons.
Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr B Balaraju said that the impact was not much.
The government has already sanctioned three months��� stipend, he added. However, Prasad said that unless they give an assurance on regularising the stipend and clearing arrears they would continue to boycott duties.