The doctors' stir that has hit health services in several parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday intensified with 200 medicos in Agra joining the resignation spree to protest the attack on their colleagues in Kanpur, even as talks with the government failed to end the deadlock.
As the protest entered the fifth day, the IMA gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the Akhilesh Yadav government to fulfil its demands-- arrest of SP MLA Irfan Solanki allegedly involved in the Friday clash, action against SSP Yashasvi Yadav and withdrawal of charges against 24 junior doctors, who were granted bail last night but refused to come out of jail.
In Lucknow, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav held talks with senior officials and a team representing the protesting doctors, and promised to take action against the MLA "if found guilty". But the striking doctors appeared dissatisfied with the outcome.
"The inquiry into the entire matter is going on and if SP MLA Irfan Solanki is found guilty, action will be initiated against him. I appeal doctors to end their strike," Yadav told reporters in Kanpur.
To deal with the situation arising due to the strike, Yadav held a meeting with senior officers including Principal Secretary Home and others tonight, sources said.
"Chief Minister has assured to withdraw cases on junior doctors but we are not satisfied with it. We, however, have appealed junior doctors to continue working in Emergency", King George's Medical University Teachers Association General Secretary Naeem Ahmad said after meeting Yadav.
The talks came as around 200 junior doctors of Agra Medical College tendered their resignation to state government, a day after 300 medical faculty of GSV medical college in Kanpur quit.
The junior doctors of Lucknow's KGMU, who continued their strike affecting medical services, along with teachers and IMA office bearers took out a march from university to the Assembly building to press their demands.
The issue has also taken a political dimension with Opposition BJP and Aam Aadmi Party extending support to the stir, that has also affected Lucknow, Varanasi, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, among other areas.
BJP youth wing workers were lathicharged by the police in Lucknow during their protest in support of agitating junior doctors, the party claimed.
The protest resonated in Delhi also with resident doctors of prestigious AIIMS sporting black badges and holding a candlelight vigil to express solidarity with the striking doctors.
"The strike of junior doctors will continue till the three demands of the Kanpur doctors were met," said vice president of Indian Medical Association's UP unit and president of Agra unit Dr Sudhir Dhakre. The agitating doctors, led by IMA, said they were trying to meet the President and the Prime Minister in New Delhi to apprise him of the situation.
Medical services were severely affected in several parts of Uttar Pradesh causing major inconvenience to patients.
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