Summary:
Compounding the situation, the resident doctors studying in medical colleges too have joined the strike in support of in-service doctors.The petition further said the government doctors and residents have been adopting this illegal practice for the last many years and resorting to strike on petty issues and thus putting at risk the lives of citizens.The petition said the contractual obligations (the contract between the doctors and government) were only secondary to the fundamental right of the citizens. Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Friday directed the health department to issue individual notices to striking doctors asking them to report for duty immediately and submit a list of striking doctors during the next hearing on November 15.The court directed the government to start implementing those demands on which the government and the striking doctors' union have reached an understanding.The division bench of Justice K S Jhaveri and Justice V K Vyas was hearing two PILs on the ongoing strike by doctors alleging that it violated the fundamental right to life of the citizens.The court issued notice to the chief secretary; principal secretary, medical and health; Medical Council of India; president, All Rajasthan In-service Doctors' Association; and president, Resident Doctors' Association, to give their replies on November 15.The court further asked the government constitute an expert committee to study the remaining demands and directed advocate general M L Lodha to submit a report on the number of in-service doctors, number of vacancies and details of their pay and allowances during the next hearing on November 15.The petitioners pointed out that the strike by the doctors was a violation of the fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution that guaranteed right to life.The PIL said the citizens have been deprived of their right to medical treatment and lives after the doctors employed by the state went on illegal strike for the last few days..