Chennai: Health officials of Tamil Nadu government claimed that most of the striking doctors rejoined duty on May 14 and appealed to them to end the 23-day strike.

However, local reports said doctors in government-run hospitals and private clinics are on a one-day token strike to express solidarity with the medical students agitating against the state government's decision to introduce more private medical colleges in the state.

Medical services in state-owned hospitals and health centres have been badly hit, despite the measures taken by the authorities to minimise the effects of the strike.

S Semmalai, the state Education and Health Minister, visited several government hospitals on May 14 to take stock of the situation.

According to him, several doctors reported for their duties despite pressure from the striking Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA).

"The government doctors with a humanitarian sense and private doctors reported for the duty today (May 14). According to reports, some were prevented from joining their duty. Almost all the doctors, including senior civil surgeons and members of the TNGDA, also reported for duty. They are performing emergency surgeries. The doctors alone can find a solution to end the strike," Semmalai told reporters after visiting the hospitals.

The health department has sought the services of doctors registered with employment exchanges and retired government doctors to attend to emergency cases.

The state government has also hired doctors in each district to face the May 14 token strike and the proposed indefinite strike from May 21.

It has already threatened to use tough Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), if the government doctors struck work.

The agitating medicos want the government to withdraw the move to introduce more private medical colleges, saying it would ruin the standards of the medical profession and create immense pressure on the already scarce job scene in the state.

The doctors have refused to perform all non-emergency operations and the entire health machinery is on the brink of being paralysed.

The students are also demanding a rollback in the proposed fee-hike in government-run medical colleges.

ANI