Junior doctors call off eight-day long strike in Visakhapatnam

The eight day-long strike by junior doctors in Visakhapatnam was called off on Friday (9 August) following the assurance given by the government of Andhra Pradesh. As reported earlier, junior doctors and medicos have been staging protests across the country opposing the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill which was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 31 July.

Raising their voice against the NMC Bill, the junior doctors and medicos in Visakhapatnam too had stepped out on the streets, boycotting their duties which crippled the medical services at the King George Hospital (KGH), the Govt. ENT and CHEST hospitals. The protests were further intensified by the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA), Students Federation of India (SFI), medical aspirants and doctors from RIMS Srikakulam, Gayatri Medical College, and NRI Medical College.

Reportedly, the APJUDA district representatives of the state took the issue to the notice of the Principal Secretary of Health, Medical and Family Welfare in Andhra Pradesh, and the Directorate of Medical Education. On Friday, the APJUDA representatives had a successful meeting at DME in Amaravati. They were assured by the Director of Medical Education Dr. K Babji that locals will be given preference over others while filling the vacancies in the health centers. He further added that the doctors’ issue with the NMC bill will be sorted soon.

Following the assurances, the junior doctors in Visakhapatnam had withdrawn the strike and returned to their duties on Friday afternoon. Reportedly, the outpatients and operation theatres will effectively work from Saturday.