Junior doctors across all government medical colleges and hospitals in Bihar began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, pressing for a reduction in bond posting tenure, recognition of bond service as senior residency experience, and a revision of senior residency salaries. The strike will continue until the state government addresses their six charter demands.
Non-Emergency Services Affected
While emergency services remain functional, outpatient departments (OPDs) and other non-emergency medical services have been shut down across the state. On September 16, the protesting junior doctors had worn black armbands during duty hours as a mark of peaceful protest. However, after no response from the government, they escalated their agitation into a full-fledged strike.
Association Extends Full Support
The strike has been spearheaded by the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA), which accused the state health department of ignoring repeated representations. The JDA said that in the absence of corrective measures, doctors were left with no option but to withhold services to push for their demands.
The Six Key Demands
The doctors’ demands include:
- Reducing bond posting period to one year with a penalty of ₹10 lakh for non-compliance.
- Recognizing bond service as senior residency experience.
- Revising senior resident salaries in line with workload and standards.
- Ensuring bond postings follow postgraduate merit-cum-choice and remain within the doctor’s specialty.
- Counting the period between result declaration and commencement of posting as part of bond duration.
- In cases of resignation, applying only the bond penalty, without recovering salaries already earned.
Call for Immediate Action
In a joint statement, the JDA emphasized, “Our demands are reasonable, fair, and essential for justice, motivation, and efficiency among resident doctors. We urge the Government of Bihar to act immediately to prevent disruption in health services and avoid pushing doctors towards extreme measures.”
Strike to Continue Until Resolution
Declaring the strike indefinite, the association made it clear that they would not return to duty until the government takes concrete positive steps. The ongoing agitation is expected to put immense pressure on Bihar’s healthcare system, which depends heavily on junior doctors for daily hospital operations.
