AP Junior Doctors’ Strike Enters Day 10 as Protest Intensifies With Vizag Beach Rally

The protest by junior doctors and medical students in Andhra Pradesh intensified on Wednesday as they took their campaign to the Visakhapatnam beach, holding a rally to press the state government to address their long-pending demands.

The agitation has entered its 10th day, while the boycott of emergency services at government medical colleges across the state continued for the third day. The protesters said the beach rally was aimed at drawing public and government attention to their grievances after they claimed there had been no meaningful response from the authorities.

Akash Divakar, a second-year postgraduate student of Anaesthesiology at Andhra Medical College, said the doctors were hoping for a positive response from the government. He said the strike had reached a critical stage, with emergency services being affected at government medical institutions across the state.

Another protester, Utham, said the doctors would intensify their agitation if their demands remained unresolved. He stressed that the protest was not politically motivated but concerned the dignity, working conditions and recognition of doctors who continue to provide critical healthcare services.

The ongoing agitation has begun to put pressure on healthcare delivery at government hospitals. Junior doctors have stayed away from emergency departments, ICUs and operation theatres, affecting services in several key areas, including maternity and paediatric care.

To prevent a major disruption in patient care, hospital administrations have deployed senior faculty members and assistant surgeons in crucial departments. However, the prolonged protest has raised concerns over the sustainability of essential services if the deadlock continues.

The Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (AP JUDA) has put forward three principal demands before the state government.

The first is a 30 per cent hike in stipends, which the doctors say has been pending since January 2026. They have also demanded the withdrawal of a proposal to increase the retirement age of senior doctors from 62 to 65 years.

The third demand relates to recruitment, with AP JUDA seeking the appointment of MSc and PhD candidates as assistant professors in line with National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations.