Health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha makes a point during his meeting with junior doctors at the secretariat in Patna on Monday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Patna, Jan. 30: Junior doctors in the medical colleges of the state withdrew their strike call today after the government agreed to their two-point demand in principle.

The medics had earlier threatened to proceed on strike from midnight today to push for demands for implementation of senior residency scheme and hike in the monthly stipend.

The government has now decided to constitute an expert committee, which will recommend the regulations for the senior residency scheme in the state and submit its report within three months.

Health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha said for the implementation of the senior residency scheme on the pattern of the Union government, amendment in the 2008 rules (medical teachers’ appointment) of the department is required. For this, the expert committee, comprising members of the Medical Council of India and faculty from medical colleges, will give its recommendation within three months. The suggestions will be adopted by the government through proper departmental procedure, he added.

Around 100 junior doctors of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) met Sinha and other senior health officers today during which they were assured of favourable policies by the government. The medics insisted on a written promise from the principal secretary, which was handed over to them.

Sinha said the Rs 25,000 monthly stipend being given to junior doctors at present will be increased from April this year.

A cabinet decision in 2009 had instructed that the matter of hike in stipend being given to the medicos should not be considered before April 2012. A final decision on the percentage of hike in the remuneration will, however, be taken later by the health department.

After a general body meeting of the junior doctors association at PMCH later in the evening, medics said there was no point in going on the strike now as the government had agreed to their demands through a notification.

“We did not want to go on strike but did not have any other option to make our voices heard. The government would not have responded so promptly to our demands had we not given the strike call. Now we will wait for three months to see how the government progresses on its written promises. We will decide our future course of action on April 30 when the deadline of three months comes to an end. They should not breach our trust now,” said a Junior Doctors’ Association member.

Earlier, the government had decided to take a tough stand on the issue, with the health minister threatening to “chop off hands” of doctors if they went on strike.