Tuesday, May 23 2006 13:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal, the stalemate between government and protesting medicos over quota issue continued as the doctors persisted with their hunger strike for the tenth day today (May 23, 2006).

"As of now there is status quo and we will continueour strike as government has not agreed to setting up a committee of experts to review the reservation policy," Dr Vinod Patro, President of the AIIMS Resident Doctors Association told sources.

The striking doctors are holding a General BodyMeeting to chalk out their future strategy.

Government has so far not taken any action towards evicting the Resident Doctors from their hostels. Resident doctors of AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) and Lady Hardinge Hospital have been issued notices to vacate their hostels.

Meanwhile, hospital services continued to be affected and only outdoor patients are being examined and prescribed medicines, while no fresh admissions are taking place unless there is an emergency, a doctor at LNJP hospital said.

No surgeries are being carried out, he said.

OPD services in AIIMS and RML are running but number of patients being attended to is less.