Medical students, interns go on indefinite strike

The strike is in protest against the reduction of post-graduate medical seats.

News18test sharma |

Updated:April 15, 2008, 5:04 PM IST

Medical students, interns go on indefinite strike

The strike is in protest against the reduction of post-graduate medical seats.

Mumbai: Medical students and interns along with resident doctors of 13 government medical colleges across Maharashtra went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday.

This in protest against the reduction of post-graduate medical seats from 653 in 2007 to 411 in 2008, a cut of 242 seats.

The seats have been reduced because the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, has failed to get the mandatory recognition for the seats from the Medical Council of India.

"The Medical Council of India should restore the teacher student ratio in the PG course to 1:2 and increase the number of seats to 1,900 which has been reduced to 411 in January 2008 selection, a Representatives of interns," Akshay Basna said.

The students have planned to take out a rally from KEM hospital to J J Hospital in Mumbai in support of their demands.

The Maharashtra medical education secretary is expected to talk to the centre this week to try and get these seats recognised so that they can admit students.

The Teachers Welfare Association is scheduled to meet later in the day to decide on the demands, Association secretary and head forensic laboratory, Nair Hospital Dr Shailash Mohite said.

He said a joint representation of the teachers will be presented to the Municipal Commissioner after the meeting. The resident doctors, who were already on strike have extended support to the students' demand for increase in number of seats.

The students said MCI is not a regulatory body and can only advise the state government.