Demands raised by junior doctors under consideration, says Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas

VIJAYAWADA: State Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas has said that the demands put forth by junior doctors, who have been staging protests on and off, are being looked into. He has assured that the state government will try to resolve as many issues as possible.

Speaking after releasing the results of NEET PG - 2018 examination here on Wednesday, the minister said, “The issues raised by the junior doctors are under consideration. As they are related to policy-making, I will discuss with the state government and take a favourable decision.”

It may be recalled that AP Junior Doctors Association staged protests demanding hike in stipend, allowing MBBS and PG graduates to get registrations immediately after the course and other issues.

The minister also said that a bill over removal of making rural practice mandatory for undergraduate students  would be tabled during the ongoing assembly session. He would visit New Delhi next week to get more PG seats granted to the state, he said and added, “Last year, the MCI granted 176 new PG seats to our state. This time around, we have got only one seat. So, I will visit Delhi within a week and get the issue resolved,” he said.

Srinivas said stipend arrears of PG students from 2016 students would be released at the earliest. “We got the financial clearance on Wednesday and it is being processed. About `32-crore arrears will be released soon. A committee has been constituted to look into the stipend to be paid this year,” he added.

4 from AP among top 100 rankers

Four students from AP made it to the top 100 list of NEET PG - 2018 ranks, said Health minister Kamineni Srinivas on Wednesday. While BVRS Sai Virinchi Yadav, secured the highest number of marks from AP and stood ninth in all India ranking, Umamaheswari, Srujana and K Sri Rama Murthy followed in the list securing 16th, 23rd and 91st all India ranks. “Out of the 10,200 candidates, who appeared for the test from AP, 6,078 have qualified. A total number of 1,24,605 candidates across the country had written the examination,” he said.

‘I will abide by BJP high command’s decision’

Kamineni Srinivas said that his party’s high command would decide whether or not the BJP legislators in the state should resign from the TDP Cabinet. “We have not got any information from New Delhi. I am what I am today only because of BJP and Venkaiah Naidu. Hence, I shall follow whatever the high command says whether I like it or not,” he said, speaking to reporters after releasing the NEET PG - 2018 results. He said BJP national president Amit Shah and the TDP supremo would take a call on continuing the alliance.