The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to deal with the strike called by the doctors in various health institutions of the state.



"The government cannot allow the hapless patients to suffer and in order to ensure that there is no disruption in the healthcare services, it has been decided that the ESMA will be invoked to deal with the strike called by the medicos," a senior officer in the Health and Medical Education department said.

He added that ensuring adequate healthcare services had become even more imperative, especially in view of a flood alert sounded by the government due to the inclement weather conditions. The doctors in government hospitals have been demanding that they be allowed to take off on gazetted holidays like other state government employees.