The Uttarakhand High Court on Febraury 20 sought the deployment of additional doctors at government hospitals on contract basis due to ongoing strike by private doctors against the Clinical Establishments Act.

The private doctors are protesting against the state government's refusal to bring about changes suggested by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010. The strike, which entered its sixth day on Wednesday, has increased the burden on government hospitals across the state, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) submitted in the court said.

Hearing the plea, the high court directed the government to take necessary steps to ensure that patients do not suffer besides seeking a detailed report on the stir. The division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Rangnathan and Justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe asked the government to submit a list of hospitals registered under the state's Clinical Establishment Act and explain under what provisions can private practitioners go on a strike.

The court was hearing the PIL filed by Haldwani resident and human rights activist Gurvinder Singh Chadha. According to Chadha, private practitioners have been on strike since last Friday causing inconvenience to general public and putting extra pressure on government hospitals.