Patna: Junior doctors of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) on Tuesday called off their strike after getting a written assurance from the hospital administration that their demands would me met.

NMCH junior doctors' association president Ravi Ranjan Kumar Raman said the medicos also received a communiqué from the principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar that he would come and review progress of initiatives taken by the hospital administration in connection with their demands on September 15.

The medicos were on an undeclared strike since Saturday, refusing to provide services at the hospital's outpatient (OPD), indoor and emergency departments following an incident on Friday in which a lady patient's attendants assaulted junior doctors of the gynaecology department after she died in labour. The junior doctors officially announced their strike on Monday while handing over a charter of demands to the NMCH administration.

On Monday evening, the association issued a press note charging paediatric head Dr. Alka Singh of forcing two fellows (junior doctors) to render their services in the paediatric department or face consequences in their PG exam result.

Association sources said they mounted pressure on the hospital administration, which had to take a soft stance.

NMCH's JDA president Dr. Ravi said: "The principal secretary, health, is going to hold a review meeting on September 15. The last time we called off our strike on August 10 after we were told the principal secretary, health, would hold a review meet and we were again reminded about the September 15 review meet during this strike. They told us all our demands would be looked into. "

Ravi said the hospital administration gave in writing that the junior doctors' demand regarding naming of accused in the FIR in connection with Friday's assault on doctors by patient's attendants would be seriously taken into consideration apart from the other demands.

"Our demand for engaging lady guards outside central emergency, labour room and paediatrics wing of the hospital has also been approved by the administration. The chances of lady attendants engaging in a verbal duel with security guards and doctors are high in these areas. The lady attendants can even put assault charge on hospital staff and doctors. Thus we had demanded for the same."

Ravi said that hospital superintendent Dr. Chandrashekhar had also approved their demand of getting barricading done outside central emergency besides installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at various points and implementing one patient and two attendants entry system in the hospital.