Dibrugarh, March 17: Health services in the Assam Medical College and Hospital were severely affected today as junior doctors abstained from work in protest against the arrest of Dr Girin Gogoi, professor and head of the department of medicine.

As tension grew in the campus, health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma despatched director of medical education Umesh Sarma to hold talks with representatives of the Junior Doctors Association (JDA).

Gogoi, who was arrested on Wednesday but subsequently granted bail, was accused of dereliction of duty by All Assam Tea Tribes Students Association president Prahlad Gowala. One of the tea tribe leader’s close relatives, Boishnab Gowala, had died recently.

Hospital superintendent Nripen Gogoi said efforts were on to ensure that patients do not suffer. “Services in the outpatient department have been affected. We are trying our best to keep emergency services out of the purview of the strike,” he said.

However, attendants of several poor patients undergoing treatment at the hospital complained that they were caught in the middle owing to the tussle between the two associations.

“It’s really unfortunate that junior doctors are frequently organising strikes. Both sides should sort out their grievances amicably. Why should poor people like us suffer?” one of them said.

JDA representatives today met deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri and submitted a memorandum.

Agnihotri said he had urged the doctors to end the strike.

“I am hopeful that they will join work very soon,” he said.

The All Assam Tea Tribes Students Association today expressed its displeasure over the way Sarma handled the situation.