Monday, May 15 2006 10:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Faced with the anti-quota stir by resident doctors, Union Health Ministry yesterday (May 14, 2006) chalked out a strategy to maintain smooth running of health services in the capital's hospitals and asked medical superintendents to ensure that medical facilities are not disrupted.

"Services in the Government hospitals will be maintained," Health Secretary P Hota said after a ministry meeting in which the situation due to the ongoing medicos' strike was discussed.

Hota said the Health Ministry had drawn attention of medical superintendents of hospitals to a directive of the Supreme Court which prohibits medicos from disrupting services. Medical Superintendents have been asked to convey the message to the striking residents and maintain services in the hospitals.

"We have also appealed to doctors and students to not to disrupt medical services as it causes inconvenience to patients," he said.

When asked whether government planned any action against the striking medicos, Hota said, "Law will take its own course."

Meanwhile, CGHS doctors have been roped in and are being re-deployed in the hospitals to maintain services, while hospitals have been asked to create an emergency duty system, pressing into service senior faculty and specialists.

Officials said all-important wings of the hospitals would function tomorrow.

"The Government has asked CGHS beneficiaries to also take health services from the private hospitals," Hota said.

The strike by resident doctors is expected to cause a major disruption of health services tomorrow.