Ninety-seven out of the 129 striking doctors, who had been on a hunger strike since five days, protesting the government's reservation policy, fell unconscious on Thursday and had to be rushed for treatment to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Coverage: The Reservation Issue
"Those who were unwell would not be asked the rejoin the strike because we do not want them to be imbalanced again. Thirty two remaining doctors would continue their hunger strike and then the next batch of over hundred doctors would take over from them," Dr Vishal Sharma of the University College of Medical Sciences told rediff.com on Thursday night.
Earlier, a group of seven doctors, including three senior doctors and four from Youth for Equality, had met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee who is heading a four-member team of ministers that will hold talks with the striking doctors, and told him about the larger issues involved in the reservation policy.
'General seats will remain the same'
"The talks were held in good atmosphere but they were inconclusive. The government told us that the general seats in the medical colleges would not be touched. But we have told Union Minister Oscar Fernandes who met us later in the evening about the impact that the reservation policy may have on other spheres of life," Dr Sharma said.
Groups of doctors distributed leaflets in the Delhi Metro stations, Connaught Place and other prominent markets to explain their point of view to the general public and to educate them about the motives behind their strike.
'Government committee not enough'
In the one-page appeal to citizens, the doctors apologized for the inconvenience caused to the general public. They wanted to know why reservation must be applied in the Post Graduate or doctor of medicine courses when doctors from backward community had already been given level playing field during the undergraduate courses. Merit should be the only criterion.
"Do you want undeserving people to do cardiac surgeries on you," they asked.
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