Madhya Pradesh High Court asks protesting doctors in the state to return to work

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday directed doctors to withdraw their strike and join duty in the state. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Raj Mohan Singh issued the direction during the hearing of a petition filed by Anshul Tiwari, a resident of Narsinghpur district, challenging the strike.

The court has directed the doctors to withdraw their strike and join duty, said the petitioner's lawyers senior advocate Sanjay Agrawal and advocate Anju Agrawal.

Further, the court has directed the doctors to submit their grievances in the court, they said.


The detailed order is awaited.

The HC had on Friday issued notices to the state government and others seeking their reply in 24 hours on the strike called by doctors on August 17 to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic at a Kolkata hospital and vandalisation of the health facility.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency health services for 24 hours beginning at 6 am on August 17 to protest against the rape-murder of a young doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata and subsequent damage to the hospital infrastructure.

Meanwhile, hundreds of resident doctors have struck work in government hospitals in MP since Friday, barring emergency services.