Strike called off

After a meeting held with the Hon Health Minister in the presence of Dr Bhalodia and Dr Ketan Desai today afternoon, and after assurance from the Government, we have unanimously decided to call of the strike and resume duties.

We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to the general public in this fight for our rights.

Details on the meeting will be posted later.

Day 11: Massive rally tomorrow

The day today was spent in preparation for the massive rally planned for tomorrow morning. It will start from VS Hospital campus and end at the Gandhi Ashram where a few bhajans will be sung.

T-shirts with the GARD logo were unveiled today and distributed to the respective college representatives. All of you are urged to collect your t-shirt from them.

Preparations are under way for talks with the Government.

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Regards,

GARD

Day 10: Some more developments

Today we continued the highly successful parallel OPD at VS Hospital and it met with great success again. We will continue it in the coming days.

The National Medicos Organisation pledged it support to our movement and issued a press note regarding the same. To visit the NMO website, click here.

We also received an email from the Hon Health Minister stating the reason for their continued inability to meet our representatives. You can view the contents of that email in the post below.

Interns all over Gujarat have formed an association on the lines of GARD and will most probably join us in the strike from tomorrow.

The designs for the T-shirts and the logo have been finalized. The final products are awaited.

Meanwhile, a massive rally has been planned for Monday, starting from VS Hospital to Gandhi Ashram. Details will be made public later.

Lastly, wishing you all a very happy Friendship Day tomorrow! Our unity is our greatest strength. Keep it up!

Letter from the Health Minister

This is the email we received as a reply from the Hon Health Minister today morning. Comments are welcome.

click on the image above to enlarge in a new window

Day 9: Going steady...

The day started off with parallel OPDs being run at both VS Hospital and LG Hospital. This was a resounding success with 245 patients being treated at VS Hospital alone. The parallel OPDs will continue to run tomorrow. A medical camp was organized at the Gandhi Ashram also.

In the Civil Hospital campus, we held a signature campaign in which everyone enthusiastically took part. Letters formats to be sent by our parents to the Hon Chief Minister and to the Dean of respective colleges were distributed. Another letter questioning the reason for focal disciplinary action was submitted to the college authorities with signatures of all residents.

Focal terminations and cancellation of registrations were carried out in various medical colleges across Gujarat in another futile attempt to break our unity.

Meanwhile, attempts to meet the authorities were again stonewalled today. A delegation of the Core Committee went to Gandhinagar to meet the Health Minister but were denied a meeting.

In a show of solidarity, all undergraduate students across Gujarat went on a token strike today. A meeting of all intern doctors across the state was called today to form a central association like GARD. They have decided to join us in the strike.

All the suggestions and ideas coming in are very welcome and we will try and implement as many as possible. Slogans for the T-shirts and designs for the logo have been coming in as well and you are free to send us suggestions for the same by email or in person. Keep up the good work!

An appeal from our parents

This is an appeal to our parents to support us in our efforts. A letter format has been drafted by GARD, to be sent to the Hon Chief Minister of Gujarat and also to the Dean of respective medical colleges. The letter is supposed to be written by hand and a copy sent to each.

To download the file (in PDF format), check the downloads section on the right just below the opinion polls. Click on the Parents' Letter link > Click on the orange download button on the new page that opens and then on the limited download speed button. The file will start downloading.

Updates on today's activities will be published later today.

Day 8: A day of developments!

The morning today was spent enlisting the support of our esteemed teachers in NHL and BJMC. They showed their support for our movement by working with black arm bands today. We also received invaluable tips and ideas from them.

All of us gathered again in the grounds at the Civil Hospital. Innovative and creative ideas to get our message across to the people came thick and fast from an excited, buoyant crowd. We look forward to implementing as many of them as possible.

An email campaign has been running for 2 days now. We are looking to spread our message to as many people as possible, locally as well as nationally. Email IDs of volunteers from each college were collected today. Whosoever wishes to join and help us spread the message is welcome to do so. Just send a message to gard.gujarat@gmail.com or resident.doctor@yahoo.com and we will send u the content to be sent across.

Today, the first year DM and MCh students had to join duties due to a problem with their admission process. They did so with the utmost regret, pledging full support to the strike and with permission from GARD. The second and third year DM and MCh students are still on strike with us. Also, university registrations of around 30 students from NHL were cancelled today. These students are unfazed and have unanimously affirmed their continued support.

In a very positive development, the State Health Minister Mr. Jaynarayan Vyas has invited representatives from GARD to initiate negotiations. Developments on this front will be published on this page.

The day ended with a candle light vigil on the grounds symbolizing hope and a clearer path ahead.

Plans for tomorrow include a parallel OPD at VS Hospital and a medical camp at Gandhi Ashram, and of course a continuation of the email campaign.

Day 7: The IMA, gujarat joins in.

Click image above to get a closer look

Today, on the 7th day of our stir, the goverment seemed to be in no mood to budge! But we have a reason to cheer. The powerful Indian Medical Association, Gujarat chapter, has come forward in open support of the striking resident doctors. They are well convinced that our demands are legitimate and are of the belief that our pay packet most definitely needs a hike. They concur on the fact that we, the residents of gujarat, are amongst least compensated post graduates of our country. A press note has been issued quoting the same.

Besides this, the day's activities were replete with skits, talks, motivational singing, free medical camps in association with NGOs.

So this definitely is a big step forward. we continue to ride high on unity and hope!

Day 6 - Charge of the Light Brigade

Today's silent march from Gh-2 circle to Pathik Ashram in Gandhinagar was again a resounding success. It was symbolic of what over 2000 young medicos could do if they took to the streets. Our massive yet supremely disciplined infantry sent out a strong message to the politicians on their own home turf: "It''s high time to act! "

A memorandum quoting our demands and grievances was submitted to the offices of the Hon Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Finance Minister, the Health Minister and the Chief Secretary since none of them were available in person. Their response is eagerly awaited.

Rumormongers have resorted to dirty tactics of spreading misinformation in an attempt to create a rift amongst our ranks and to mislead the public. But we would like to assert that we stand united as one, as we always have been. Our sheer numbers speak for themselves. The battle is intensifying and it will be fought to the end.

Unprecedented massive turnout of resident docs at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad

It was an unbelievable sight... about 2000 resident medicos from across govt and municipal medical institutes of gujarat gathered at BJMC, Ahmedabad in a congregation which can easily be termed 'historic', and all this despite the fact that ESMA had been implemented just a few hours ago.

As rightly said in his speech by the convenor, there were NAWABS from Jamnagar, DIAMONDS from surat, KINGS from baroda and TITANS from Rajkot besides their comrades from civil hospital bhavnagar, BJMC and NHLMMC. It was a visual delight, a true demonstration of the fact that unity and numbers matter. The representatives shared their experiences with the rest of us and each time one came forward to speak, it was a deafening clap that welcomed them!!
Strategies were discussed with due emphasis on the fact that discipline was to be maintained at every stage of our protest. We are doctors, after all, very responsible with what we do!
A silent rally in continuation with the strike will commence tomorrow at 11am in Gandhinagar and our silent disciplined army shall descend on the streets, yet again!

ESMA implemented

The Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) was implemented by the Gujarat government. In spite of this, we stand firm on our decision to continue our strike until our demands are met.

Article in the Times of India, dated 24th July

Keep visiting for more updates.

Misinformation being spread

Lots of rumors have been flying around in the face of the strike. Misinformation (click here) through the media is also being spread in order to create rifts. In spite of all this, we stand united and firm in continuing our strike.

Please do not believe these rumors. This page will keep you updated on all recent developments.

Today representatives from GARD will meet authorities in the government to work out a solution.

Strike - Day 2

Today was the second day of the strike. GARD had organized a silent rally starting from BJ Medical College to RTO from 10 AM to 1 PM. Residents from BJMC, NHL, Shardaben and LG participated in the rally.

For pictures, click here

Articles in the Times of India, Gujarat Samachar

A blood donation camp will be organized in the Civil Hospital campus tomorrow.

Silent rally tomorrow

A silent rally has been planned for tomorrow starting from BJ Medical College at 10 AM upto the collectorate (RTO).

Let us all join and make the rally a success...

GARD strike resumes...

It has been 5 months...and the government seems unrelenting! so its only natural that we, the resident doctor community of gujarat, under the aegis of GARD, resume our strike from today (23/07/09) to reinforce our demands. It only seemed like a few days ago before the election heat that the govt of gujarat had agreed upon making the necessary amends soon after the election process was over. But, yet again, today we stand denied of what had been promised to us. So, it is our call again to battle it out and claim what legitimately is ours.

Residents in all medical colleges across Gujarat are on STRIKE effective 8 AM today.

Articles in Gujarat Samachar, Times of India

Watch this space for updates

Strike postponed

With effect from 8 AM today, the strike has been postponed till the end of the elections.

In a meeting last night, Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas, in the presence of the Dean of BJ Medical College, the Superintendent of Civil Hospital, and the Director of PG courses, NHL, gave as his assurance that our demands will be met at earliest after the elections.

We have unanimously decided to postpone the strike till the end of elections. All resident doctors shall resume duties from 8 AM today.

PRESS NOTE FOR 4/3/09.

GUJARAT ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENT DOCTORS(G.A.R.D) ON INDEFINITE STRIKE FOR STIPEND HIKE.
PRESS NOTE FOR 4/3/09.
TODAY IS DAY 4 OF OUR INDEFINITE STRIKE. INSPITE OF OUR SUSTAINED EFFORTS, THERE IS NO SIGN OF POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF GUJARAT. THIS LEAVES US WITH NO OPTION OTHER THAN CONTINUING OUR PEACEFUL PROTEST. WE HAVE INVOLVED OURSELVES IN VARIOUS SOCIALLY PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES LIKE BLOOD DONATION CAMPS, CLEANLINESS DRIVES, STREET PLAYS TO EDUCATE THE COMMON MAN ABOUT THE DREADED HEPATITIS- B DISEASE. WE ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED TO THE COMMON MAN AND WE DEEPLY REGRET IT.
THANKING YOU
G.A.R.D

For more details, reach us on:gard.gujarat@gmail.com.
Also log on to :gardgujarat.blogspot.com
Ph:09825560535,9904254455,9824787863,9904065659.

Day Two

ALL GUJARAT JUNIOR DOCTORS ASSOCIATION STRIKE

We, the junior doctors of GUJARAT are on strike with effect from 1st March, 2009 to protest against the measly stipend given to us.
We sincerely look forward to your valuable support to help us fight our genuine cause.
Our peaceful protest shall continue with the same zeal and will only get stronger day by day as it is our strong conviction that this pay hike is much deserved!!

Pics - Day 1

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Day 1

The strike started at 8 AM today morning. All of us got together in a show of solidarity in front of the old blood bank.

In the afternoon, the creative spirits among us enacted a hilarious skit with the theme of the strike.

Our efforts so far...

For the last 3 months, we have been in talks with the authorities regarding an increase in our stipend. All we got for our efforts were verbal assurances. No concrete steps were taken.

As a token of protest against this government apathy, we observed a "Black Ribbon Day".

Finally, with deep regret for the inconvenience this would cause to our patients, we decided to launch a state-wide indefinite strike with effect from 8 AM on 1st March, 2009.

The situation

Let's start with an insight into our life. We are residents or post graduate students pursuing various disciplines. After 5 and a half years of graduation and another couple in passing various entrance exams, we get admitted in PG courses. Hopes abound, of being able to support our family, of being financially independent. By the time we finish our residency, most of us are married, some with a child to nurture. As residents, we look after the welfare of all our patients. We are on duty 24x7, for 3 years on the trot, barely squeezing in time for food, sleep and family. The popular image of doctors, of a life of luxury far from worries, shatters in our faces. We get paid a mere Rs. 13 an hour (Rs. 9623 a month).

In comparison, residents in other states get paid anywhere between Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 47,000 a month. Even class IV workers now get Rs. 12,000 after the 6th pay commission. What a glaring difference!