Medical services continued to remain paralysed across Madhya Pradesh as strike by more than 1,000 junior doctors in five medical colleges in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa entered fifth day on July 27.

Medicos are demanding hike in stipend, improvement in infrastructure and amendment in service rules. “Instead of paying attention to our demands, the regime is trying to suppress our voice. Several junior doctors were dismissed, hostels are being vacated and other means being used to put pressure,” Junior Doctors' Association (JUDA) office-bearer Kripashankar Tiwari told UNI over telephone.

Responding to a query over the High Court declaring the strike as illegal, he said that a decision would be taken on the matter after receiving the order. Presently, the JUDA has received a notice from the High Court and is furnishing its reply. Mr Tiwari said that the JUDA is trying to hold positive deliberations with the Chief Minister, any people's representative or senior official but achieved no success. On whether paramedical staff had returned to work, he said that he was not seized of the matter. Meanwhile, the regime invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and barred doctors and Medical Education Department officials from going on leave during the next three months.