NEW DELHI, May 31: Resident doctors in India’s capital bowed on Wednesday to a Supreme Court directive and ended a 20-day strike against higher college quotas for disadvantaged students “in the interest of patient care”.

“Against the background of the total apathy shown by the legislature and the executive, the Supreme Court rightly intervened and directed the government of India to explain the reasons for seeking reservations,” Vinod Patra, a spokesman for the doctors, said on news channel NDTV.

“We welcome the pro-active judgment by the Supreme Court and ... hereby resume duties with immediate effect in the interest of patient care,” he said.

Resident doctors in other parts of the country also said they would return to work, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, but it was not clear whether students would continue demonstrating.

India’s Supreme Court earlier in the day told medical students and doctors for a third time to end a strike that has crippled health care in the capital and around the country for almost three weeks.

“We direct that all strikes, protests, demonstrations or any form of dissent should be called off forthwith,” judges Arijit Pasayat and L.S. Panta said, repeating a similar order made on Tuesday.

The court on Tuesday had warned doctors they could face contempt charges if they failed to comply with its orders.

The judges’ comments came as Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss warned doctors they risked being sacked if they continued their strike.

“If the condition continues like this, we have to find new doctors and they will be appointed permanently,” he said during a visit to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.—AFP