Around 350 resident doctors at Kota and Jhalawar medical colleges today joined a strike by medical practitioners over their various demands, affecting health services in Kota, Bundi, Baran and Jhalawar districts in Rajasthan.

Authorities at the medical colleges said that to maintain normal services, alternative arrangements had been made. Heads of departments and teaching faculties will attend to patients.Around 640 government doctors began the strike on November 6. Patients in district hospitals, community and primary health centres in rural areas had to be shifted to private hospitals due to the strike.General Secretary of All Rajasthan In Service Doctors Association, Durga Shankar Saini, said they were forced to go on strike as the state government did not pay heed to their 33-point demand.

These demands are not in the interest of the doctors but for improvement of medical and healthcare facilities that would eventually be beneficial for the patients, Dr Saini claimed.Kota district collector Rohit Gupta directed eight private hospitals of the city to provide free OPD services to patients. The patients with prescription slip from government hospitals would be able to avail free OPD services at eight major hospitals of the city during the strike period.Meanwhile, Kota Private Dairy Federation today announced stopping the supply of dairy products to the residents of striking doctors.