An adamant Health Minister Ashok Bhatt asked the doctors to call off their strike. "We will consider their demand for a hike in stipend later," he asserted. But the doctors were equally adamant, arguing that they had waited long enough for the government to give them their due.

With both sides sticking to their guns, a meeting of representatives of junior doctors from Jamnagar Medical College with the minister ended in a deadlock, although Bhatt told doctors that he had discussed their demand with Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala and "he was positive".

Angry over the government's `apathy', the doctors in Jamnagar stepped up their agitation by starting an indefinite fast. Another indefinite fast was started in Surat on Monday and conditions of 11 junior doctors were stated to be serious.

Jamnagar JDA secretary Kamal Dodia accused the Health Minister of making it `a personal, prestige issue'. He alleged that Bhatt had also insulted them by asking them to go to other states when they compared their positions with that of their counterparts in other states.

Doctors in Surat also blamed Ashok Bhatt. They alleged that the Health Minister felt slighted when, bypassing him, they called on Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and raised their demand. "He is penalising us," remarked a doctor.

As the stand-off continued, work in Saurashtra's largest health institute, Irwin Hospital, remained paralysed. The number of indoor patients has fallen by 50 per cent while the number of operations performed daily has gone down by 70 per cent.

In Surat, no operations are being done and all except very serious patients have been discharged. In Vadodara's S S G Hospital, which is the `last hope' for hundreds of poor patients coming from far-flung areas, the attendance at the out-patients' department has fallen from 1,200 to some 400 to 500 only.

SSG Hospital superintendent Kirit Sheth said that 100 senior teachers and doctors were doing their best to attend all the 20 wards and OPDs. The seniors had been asked to `suspend speciality clinics and discharge cold (read non-emergency) cases and handle only emergency cases'.

The `parallel OPDs' of the JDA are also continue. But this is clearly insufficient. Patients have to run from pillar to post for medical guidance or treatment. Works at gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, orthopedics and medicine OPDs were comparatively better, yet affected to some extent.

A woman whose infant suffered from an acute asthmatic problem was refused treatment. Similar (non) treatment was meted out to Dayabhai Solanki in the chest department and Champaben in the urology OPD. Ironically, JDA itself is highlighting such cases. "We are helpless," said a JDA office-bearer.

JDA leaders are angry that the ministers and MLAs had raised their own salaries by 300 per cent, but were not bothered about the doctors' `legitimate demands'. Sanjay Patonia, Jamnagar JDA president, said they had been making representations ever since the government implemented the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission for other employees.

In Surat, where the strike went almost unnoticed as the city battled with the flood, the agitating doctors' attempt to get sympathy by offering their services during the calamity came a cropper. The authorities, after using their services for two days, told them bluntly that they could do without them. In Ahmedabad, the doctors have so far not gone on strike. Tushar Shah, member of the JDA executive, said that they had been promised 56 per cent hike in stipend about two months ago. "The State government has not yet issued the necessary orders, but we are waiting and watching the situation," said Shah.

Besides, the issues in Ahmedabad are different. For example, Ahmedabad has no non-stipendiary seats (NSS), but other medical colleges have NSS, and striking junior doctors are demanding that these seats be converted into residency seats.