Chandigarh: Resident doctors postponed their protest till today

Chandigarh: The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) today temporarily withdrew its protest. A statement issued by the association said that the protest has been temporarily halted till October 17 in solidarity with the hunger strike of resident doctors of West Bengal. The association’s support and solidarity is with the common sentiment of doctors of hospitals in West Bengal and other states, but a joint plan of action will be prepared after monitoring the situation of other institutions, especially Delhi, on October 17. Taking into account the prevailing situation arising due to the ongoing agitation by hospital and sanitation workers and the suggestion of the administration, in an effort to prevent any serious public inconvenience, ARD members have decided to resume their duty. According to sources, the doctors have also postponed the strike due to strict adherence to the “no work no pay” rule by the PGI administration and the approaching examinations. Today, most of the doctors protested on rotation basis, which means they participated in the agitation after their duty hours. Yesterday, 80 per cent of the doctors attended their respective duties following the 12-hour strike (9 am to 9 pm) called by the association. While 10 resident doctors went on a major strike, others staged a protest near the director’s office on the PGI campus. Most of the doctors participated in the protest during off-duty hours.