Junior doctors commence indefinite strike across Telangana

Junior doctors in Telangana, including those at Gandhi Hospital, begin strike over unmet demands from government.

Around 1,000 junior doctors working at Gandhi Hospital, and approximately 60,000 junior doctors in Telangana began their strike on Monday, June 24, 2024.

The medical services at the hospital remained unaffected but are likely to impact out patient facilities, said medical staff who were not part of the stir.

As patients made their way to the Outpatient (OP) block of Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad, a tent was set up outside the Inpatient (IP) building.

These were junior doctors preparing to start an indefinite strike due to unmet demands from the government. As time went on, hundreds of junior doctors assembled, holding placards and chanting slogans like “When no delay in treatment then why delay in stipends.”

As part of the strike, from Monday junior doctors across the State will boycott outpatient services, elective surgeries, and ward duties, though emergency services will continue as usual. “We have given enough time for the government to address our demands, most of which can be resolved within a day if the government and administration commit to it,” said Dr. G Sai Sri Harsha, President of the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA).

One doctor highlighted, “Even if the government promises to credit our stipends within the next hour, our strike will continue. We want our stipends to be credited on time every month, and that is why we are demanding the implementation of a green channel.”

On June 18, T-JUDA submitted a notice to the Director of Medical Education (DME) for the strike. Their demands include establishing a green channel for timely stipend disbursement, honorarium for superspeciality senior residents, deploying police personnel to prevent violence against doctors in hospitals, constructing new hostels, providing adequate faculty at medical colleges, and building a new facility for Osmania General Hospital (OGH).