Vijayawada: Former CM YS Jagan urged CM Chandrababu to resolve the legitimate demands of striking junior doctors and increase their stipends to an appropriate level. He urged the Chandrababu to immediately invite representatives of the junior doctors for talks, increase their stipends to an appropriate level.

YS Jagan said that the strike to an end and ensure that poor patients do not face any inconvenience in Government hospitals. YS Jagan in his twitter X post said that Chandrababu is responsible for continuing strike by junior doctors. Will you force junior doctors, who save lives, onto the streets and put the lives of poor patients at risk, he questioned.

Nearly 9,000 interns, postgraduate doctors, super-speciality doctors and senior residents from 19 Government medical colleges across the State have been protesting for the past two weeks. Why have you not responded to them? Why have you withheld the stipend revision that, as per the rules, should have come into effect from January 1? GO No. 287 provides for a 15% increase in the stipend of junior doctors every two years, he wrote. YS Jagan stated that the YSRCP Government went beyond this and increased the stipend by 42.4%.

We also recognized those pursuing super-speciality courses as Senior Residents and, considering their request, increased their stipend beyond the prescribed level, resulting in an overall increase of 77%. YS Jagan said that we also increased the stipends of AYUSH junior doctors on par with those of allopathic junior doctors. When junior doctors are seeking an increase of more than 15%, considering rising prices, inflation and the increased cost of living, is it not unfair that you say you will increase their stipends by only 3 to 5%? Government teaching hospitals depend heavily on the hard work of junior doctors to provide medical services. Now, due to the strike, even emergency services such as casualty, ICUs and labour rooms are being affected, causing serious hardship to poor patients, he added.

YS Jagan alleged that the Government’s stubborn attitude is responsible for this situation. Aarogyasri network hospitals are already struggling because of the dues accumulated under your Government. On the other hand, you have severely weakened the Government healthcare system.

YS Jagan said that YSRCP Government took unprecedented initiative in the country’s history for 17 new Government medical colleges at one time. We completed five of them and started classes. We also made another medical college ready for classes, bringing a total of six colleges into operation. Instead of completing the remaining colleges, you are trying to sell them off. As if this were not enough, you have stopped the remaining Nadu-Nedu works in Government teaching hospitals and other hospitals. Government hospitals are struggling due to the lack of medicines meeting WHO/GMP standards, he added.

He alleged that the CM Chandrababu abandoned the zero-vacancy policy. You are gradually reducing the nearly 50,000 healthcare personnel appointed during our Government. You have weakened the Family Doctor programme. You have removed specialist doctors from Community Health Centres. You have rendered Village and Urban Clinics ineffective. You have severely weakened Aarogyasri and accumulated dues of more than Rs 3,000 crore. The damage you have caused to the public healthcare system is immense. Now, by dealing with junior doctors with the same arrogance, you are pushing even the remaining medical services beyond the reach of poor people. Chandrababu garu, at least now, give up this arrogance, he added.