MP govt sends hostel eviction notice to protesting junior doctors

Bhopal: The stir between around 3,000 junior doctors and the Madhya Pradesh government which entered the 6th day on Saturday has escalated after the state government sent eviction notices to the doctors who recently resigned on Saturday to vacate their hostels.

In a stand-off with the agitating junior doctors, the Madhya Pradesh government has hardened its stance after accepting mass resignations by the doctors, served eviction notices to them and asked to vacate their hostels and deposit the bond amount.

Gandhi Medical College Dean has also asked all the junior doctors to vacate their college hostel after they have submitted their resignations.

They have asked us to vacate the government hostel in Bhopal, and also pay bond fees (which runs into several lakh rupees". When they can serve us eviction notices, why not release a written order increasing our stipend," Madhya Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) secretary Ankita Tripathi told PTI.

In six medical colleges across Madhya Pradesh, junior doctors have been protesting for a stipend hike of 24% for those looking after COVID patients. They had also demanded free COVID treatment for them and better medical facilities for their families.

The situation worsened after the Madhya Pradesh high court's division bench on Thursday declared the strike illegal and ordered them to return to duty within 24 hours. After that, the MP Medical University in Jabalpur cancelled the registration of 450 junior doctors.

The government was then told to take strict action against those doctors who do not resume their work within the stipulated time.

Meanwhile, the strike has completely disrupted the healthcare services across Madhya Pradesh.