3,000 junior docs resign as HC declares strike illegal

3,000 junior docs resign as HC declares strike illegal

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:04.06.2021

A division bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Thursday declared the state-wide strike by junior doctors as illegal and ordered them to resume duty within 24 hours. If the doctors don't return to duty, the state government should initiate tough action against them, the court said.

Soon after the high court order was received, the MP Medical University, Jabalpur cancelled the registrations of 450 junior doctors. Hurt by these two incidents, all the junior doctors of the state announced their collective resignations with immediate effect. The 3,000 resignations took place in the six medical colleges GMC Bhopal, MGM Indore, NSCBMC Jabalpur, BMC Sagar, SSMC Rewa and GRMC Gwalior. At a press conference, later in the evening JUDA representatives said they would approach the Supreme Court for relief. “State government had made a commitment to JUDA and the onus is on the government to fulfil it. We have been on peaceful strike for four days, but there is no communication from the government side. Rather, an attempt was made to mislead us by getting a petition filed in the high court. That's why we tell the government that you can stop us from strike, but not from resigning. So, we have decided that we will resign and continue our fight,” said MP JUDA president, Dr Arvnid Meena.

Junior doctors stage protest after mass resignation, at Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal on Thursday

HC slams docs for strike amid second wave

Earlier, a division bench of MPHC headed by Chief Justice, Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Sujoy Paul criticised the junior doctors for proceeding on a strike during the devastating second wave of Coronavirus pandemic and said strike by junior doctors at this critical juncture can't be justified on any ground.

Shailendra Singh, an advocate from Jabalpur, had filed a petition in the high court seeking court's intervention in the strike by junior doctors. He contended that in response to his earlier petition, the court on July 15, 2018, had declared medical services as essential services and under the Essential Services Maintenance Act and doctors can't proceed on strike or take a mass leave. TNN