TN Health Minister issues ultimatum to striking doctors to join duty

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar has warned protesting doctors to return to duty by Thursday. He has said that y'll be replaced if y don't come back to duty by Thursday evening. Around 15,000 government doctors across state are on strike since a week on various demands including pay scale equal to central government doctors, periodic salary raise and promotions from state health department and 50% state-wise reservation for PG speciality and super speciality courses and to conduct service PGs postings through counselling. 

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Doctors group discredited by state

Talks with government failed as state government refused to fulfil  demands of doctors. Moreover, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi Palaniswamy said that doctors association named Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) which is protesting w is t a recognized association by government. health minister also claimed that only 3,000 doctors are protesting and numbers given by association is a false one. He also said that all main associations are on duty without any such issues. 

But day-to-day activities are t affected much because of on-going strikes as doctors are available for emergency OP, emergency surgeries and dengue OP for last 6 days in govt hospitals, since beginning of protest. 

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Ultimatum to striking doctors

Health minister Vijayabaskar gave a statement that ongoing strike should t affect treatment of poor and hence all doctors who are on strike should join duty by 2 pm on Thursday and talks can continue later. "Those who don't return to duty within today will be terminated and we are already in process to recruit new doctors immediately to fill absence," said Vijayabaskar. govt also said that trainee doctors who are participating in se protests will t get conduct certificate which is very important for medical career as y don't have any role in this strike. Even after timeframe given by state government is over, doctors still continue strike at Rajiv Gandhi GH at Chennai.

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