The Medical Teachers' Association in Mumbai on Thursday gave an ultimatum of 48 hours to the Maharashtra government to fulfill their demands of better security at hospitals and threatened mass resignation if their demands are not met within two days.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a meeting with the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) in Mumbai requested them to withdraw their strike immediately and join their duties.
He had earlier said that the state government will take strong action against those who attack doctors and will ensure doctors' security.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the agitating doctors to resume duties and urged them to give some time to the government to provide them proper security. The court asked the state government to provide security to doctors at the government hospitals so they can work without any fear. The HC will hear the matter after 15 days.
Bombay HC chief justice said in the order that no punitive action should be taken against protesting doctors once they resume their duties.
For the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, over 3,000 resident doctors continued their mass casual leave protesting against growing incidents of attacks by patients' relatives on them.
Medical services in 17 government hospitals in Maharashtra, including four in Mumbai, were severely affected because of the strike.
Thousands of patients have been deprived of medical care in the wake of protest across the state.