The resident doctors in the national capital called off their two-day long strike last night, hours after Delhi government invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against them.
The Delhi Government had given a deadline of 11 a.m. (on Tuesday) to all the resident doctors on strike to resume work with immediate effect. When the doctors failed to do so, the city government imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to ensure that they do the same.
On Monday, the resident doctors began an indefinite strike here demanding more rooms, cleaner environment, and better salaries and working hours.
The doctors’ association had given June 21 as the deadline to respond to their demands.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has once again appealed to the doctors on strike to return to work as all their demands were accepted by the Delhi government yesterday itself.
Earlier on Monday, more than 2,000 doctors from 20 hospitals in the national capital, including Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital went on an indefinite strike. Several issues have been highlighted by the striking doctors, including adequate life saving and generic drugs. The other demands include security at workplace, drinking water supply and timely payment of their salaries.
According to the doctors, the government has failed to take steps to fulfil their demands. Reports said that the doctors had earlier written to the Union Health Ministry to look into their demands.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain stated that the strike was not a solution to any issue, adding that he had called the doctors for talks on Sunday, but they failed to make it. The minister further said that he had still invited the striking doctors for talks. Earlier in February, a similar strike was called by the resident doctors regarding the same set of demands.