Patna, July 24: Peeved over the failure of the police to catch the killers of a medical practitioner Om Prakash Verma, doctors across Bihar will keep their private clinics and nursing homes closed today. The decision was taken at a meeting of Bihar chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) yesterday after the expiry of a 48-hour deadline set by them on Monday for the police to nab the culprits who gunned down Dr Verma in Takiapar locality of Danapur on Sunday night for refusal to pay extortion money.
Government hospitals were exempted from the purview of the strike, IMA (Bihar) general secretary Dr Shahjanand Singh said.
A protest rally would be taken out today against the killing and frequent attacks on the medical fraternity, he said adding the IMA would meet again on Friday to decide the future course of action.
The IMA at its previous meeting had demanded protection to the family of the slain doctor and a compensation of Rs 10 lakh, besides a government job to his kin. The current agitation of doctors comes barely two months after they protested the kidnapping of prominent neurosurgeon Dr Ramesh Chandra from the city on May 17. Chandra was released from captivity on May 21, the day from which the doctors had threatened an indefinite state-wide strike. Bureau Report