The doctors, led by the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, on Wednesday formed an association ‘Gujarat Association of Residents Doctors’ (GARD), to press for their demands.

They also formed several committees such as financial committee, legal committee, media committee, planning committee and intra-college committee, to meet their needs during the protest.

“This strike is continuing for the last three days and we had been negotiating with Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas, civil superintendent M M Anchalia and dean of the medical college Dr Bharat Shah. But as the negotiations failed, we are continuing with the strike. We are the doctors in one of the largest hospitals of Asia, but we are paid less than our counterparts in UP, Rajasthan, or even Jharkhand,” said Dr Vinod Patel, who has been leading the protest.

His colleague Dr Hemang said: “We are ready to work anytime of the day, but the stipend, which we are given for our services, is quite less. Not only that, we are not even satisfied with the essential services given to us. Sometimes, we have to sleep in wards, while many students are not even given space in wards.”

Another doctor said they were not denying service if it was necessary. “If nothing works for us, we will march to Gandhinagar or play skit before the Health Minister’s office,” he said.

Dr Bharat Shah, Dean, B J Medical College, said: “It is not true that students are not provided with wards. We take enough care for their accommodation. They should understand their demands are not reasonable and should call off the strike.”

Dr M M Anchalia, civil superintendent, said the government has increased their stipend by 20 per cent, which is revised after every two years.