Thiruvananthapuram, Friday 28 January 2011: The Director of Medical Education has given a deadline of 24 hours to postgraduate medicos to report for duty, failing which punitive action as per the directions of the Medical Council of India would be taken.

The house surgeons have also been issued a stern warning that they could face disciplinary action, including stipend cut and withholding of certificates, if they persisted with the strike.

The Director of Medical Education has directed all medical college Principals to take stern action against the striking medicos and to coordinate with the various heads of departments and to make necessary redeployment of faculty so that hospital services are not affected.

Postgraduate medicos and house surgeons who launched a State-wide strike three days ago warned on Thursday that they would intensify the strike even as the State government and medical education authorities announced stern measures against them.

Close on the heels of the indefinite strike launched by the postgraduate medical students in all government medical colleges on January 25 over issues of indiscriminate hike in course fee and stipend rate, the 700-odd house surgeons too went on strike on Thursday raising similar issues.

While postgraduate medicos are staying away from all hospital duties, including emergency services, the house surgeons have, at least for the time being, decided not to boycott casualty, ICU and labour room duties.

The Medical College authorities have set about making alternative arrangements to ensure that patient care services in the hospitals are not affected.

As per the directions of the DME, the staff members of the non-clinical and para-clinical departments have been asked to assist in the running of the casualty and emergency services. “We are pooling the existing faculty members and duty schedules are being worked around to ensure that services are not disrupted,” Superintendent of Thiruvananthapuram MCH A. Nizaruddin said.