Patna: Healthcare services in Bihar are set to face disruption from today as junior doctors in all state medical colleges and hospitals begin a strike. The Junior Doctors Association (JDA) has confirmed that while emergency services will continue, all other services will be boycotted until their demands are addressed.
On Tuesday, junior doctors signalled their discontent by wearing black bands during duty hours. In a statement, the JDA said they had “no option but to announce the outline of agitation” after repeated appeals to the Health Department failed to elicit action.
“Our demands are reasonable, just and necessary to ensure justice, motivation and efficiency among resident doctors,” the association said, urging the Bihar government to intervene swiftly to avoid disruption of health services.
The doctors are pressing for several key changes, including reducing the bond posting period to one year with a Rs 10 lakh penalty for non-compliance, recognition of bond service as senior residency experience, and an increase in senior residency salaries in line with workload and current standards. They also want the period between results and postings to be counted towards bond service, and protection from retrospective salary recovery in cases of resignation before completion of the bond term.
The association said the strike would continue until “concrete positive steps” were taken by the state government.
