Junior doctors at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Tuesday returned to work within four hours of embarking on an indefinite strike after getting assurance of security beef-up at the health hub.

Sources said the strike was prompted by a brawl between doctors and attendants on Monday evening after a patient died of kidney failure.

Members of Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) stopped work at 12noon, demanding availability of emergency drugs, checks on patients’ attendants in the emergency ward and tight security at the health hub. Doctors felt that shortage of live-saving medicines and equipment for emergency patients resulted in regular conflicts with attendants.

At 4pm, the association ended its strike and its members returned to duty after the health administration assured that its demands would be met with.

JDA president Dr Kunal told The Telegraph: “We wish to treat the patients with our best skills but we are fed up with the hospital’s style of functioning. Emergency patients’ attendants flood the emergency ward, hampering treatment and leading to frequent conflicts. Often, we find shortage of emergency drugs. If we ask attendants to buy these drugs from outside, they get angry. To some extent they are right but we have no option if we want to save the patients’ lives. In case of conflicts, there is no security arrangement neither inside the hospital nor outside.”

He said: “We demanded a pass system for attendants, a shade for attendants outside the emergency ward and a gate separating the ward and the shade. After our satisfactory meeting with the health, the police and the district administrations, we decided to call off our strike.”

Sadar sub divisional police officer Niraj Kumar said: “We have deployed four constables and a police officer at the health hub.”

DMCH superintendent Suraj Nayak said: “Junior doctors returned to work after a meeting with us.”