40 patients die in western Indian state due to doctor\'s strike

strike by doctors in the western Indian state At least 40 patients have died due to a strike by doctors in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, reported Indo-Asian News Service on Monday. Some 3,500 doctors have struck work since last Wednesday to press for a pay hike and other demands. About 400 doctors have been arrested for violating the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act clamped by the state government, said the report.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has visited a hospital in Jaipur, the state capital, to take stock of the situation.
He said that the government was negotiating with the striking doctors and a solution is likely to be reached soon.
Nearly 3,500 resident doctors and 20,000 National Rural Health Mission contract employees, along with thousands of in-service doctors, are participating in the strike.