The government doctors remained on duty though, but registered the protest by wearing a black ribbon on their white coats.

The bandh called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) by and large was successful. Doctors in most parts of the city observed the strike.

The bandh was announced after a scuffle between the RMC’s vigilance department and Medical Superintendent R B Desmukh following the recovery of 50 kg of bio-medical waste from the terrace of the Rajkot Civil Hospital.

On Monday, the doctors were also seen at loggerheads with the Rajkot district collectorate. Over 1,000 members of the IMA, led by Rajkot MP Dr Vallabh Kathiria (BJP) and Congress leader Dr Hemang Vasavda, were present to submit a memorandum to District Collector H S Patel, demanding action against RMC vigilance officer P I Godhania.

The vigilance officer had allegedly coerced Deshmukh to give his statement following the recovery of bio-medical waste from the hospital premises.

The doctors alleged that they were denied entry into the collector’s office.

The IMA delegation refused to meet the collector in a small group of 10 to 12 persons, or hand over the memorandum to the additional collector, who came out to accept it on behalf of Patel.

The two-hour long standoff finally came to an end when the doctors agreed to hand over the memorandum to the additional collector.

Earlier in the day, Kathiria, also a neurosurgeon, skin specialist Dr Suresh Joshipura and other leading doctors addressed members of the association at the Trikaun Baug Chowk. They at once condemned the alleged mishandling of Desmukh and said the RMC must stop treating doctors as criminals.

Amid all the protests and agitations, the two main issues: the drive against the disposal of bio-medical waste, and the probe into the recovery of such waste from the Civil Hospital premises, have slid on the back burner.

On his part, RMC Commissioner Dr Dinesh Brahmbhatt assured that the drive will continue, but teams from the health and solid waste management departments have not come out for survey in the last three days.