HC issues notices to government, medicos

HYDERABAD: Dealing with a public interest litigation filed by an advocate seeking its direction to put an end to the junior doctors' strike, a division bench of the High Court on Monday issued notices to the state's medical and health department asking it to file a counter affidavit, and posted the case for hearing to Tuesday (Feb 14). The bench, comprising chief justice Madan B. Lokur and justice PV Sanjay Kumar, directed the registry to serve notices in person to the striking junior doctors also to make them file a counter by Tuesday.Advocate-general A Sudershan Reddy told the court that the government had taken necessary measures to avert people's problems arising out of the strike and the boycott of emergency services by junior doctors. As per the agreement reached in 2009, the government had been enhancing the stipend at 15 per cent a year and also reviewing the agreement  every six months, he said. ``The present demands put forth by the junior doctors are not only unreasonable but also violation of the agreement. Besides, the junior doctors have been raising objections to the condition of working in rural areas for a specific period as part of the MBBS course,'' he said.Petitioner's counsel PV Krishnaiah said poor patients were suffering because of the strike, particularly due to the boycott of emergency services, by junior doctors of government hospitals. He wanted the court to declare the strike as illegal and to direct the government to consider the 'reasonable' grievances and demands of the striking junior doctors. The issue will come up for hearing on Tuesday.