Chennai: Even as the strike by Medical College students in Tamil Nadu entered the 23rd day on May 15 with no solution in sight, the health authorities have sent notices to government doctors, who abstained from work during the one-day token strike on May 14.

"Notices have been sent to doctors who abstained from work on May 14. Departmental action will be taken against them if their replies, to be received within three days, are not found satisfactory', a top health official said.

Pointing out that the denial of medical services to poor and needy patients by government doctors was a "great disservice" to the profession, the official said over 40,000 outpatients were treated in various government hospitals in the state during the strike on May 14.

Meanwhile, some representatives of the striking medical students on May 15 gave a letter to the Director of Medical Education, Dr Ravindranath, informing him of their readiness for a dialogue with Health Minister S Semmalai to end their strike, which commenced on April 23.

While the Medical students are protesting against the government's decision to allow private medical colleges to be started in the state, some government doctors are extending moral support to the striking medicos by not attending to work. The medicos plan to go on an indefinite strike from May 21.

PTI