The strike has led to a number of operations being postponed which are not emergencies.
A strike by resident doctors in six major government district hospitals, affiliated to medical colleges, in Rajasthan has thrown medical services out of gear.
The strike, which started on Monday, has 4000 residents skipping work to protest the new examination pattern suggested by the Medical Council of India where their copies will be sent to other states for evaluation.
The government says it cannot go against the guidelines of the Medical Council and acting tough on the strike, it has asked residents not to work at government hospitals.
The government is trying to bridge the gap by posting 1300 medical officers and has also terminated the services of 583 first year post graduation doctors.
"They go on strike without any reason and sometimes four to five times in a year, and the patient suffers. We will not tolerate. When other residents in other states are not on strike after the MCI guidelines, then why in Rajasthan?" said Rajasthan health minister Rajendra Rathore.
But the strike is affecting patients, especially those admitted to hospital wards. Each ward always has a minimum of two residents on duty along with nursing staff, but following the strike the doctors could not be seen inside wards.
It has also led to a number of operations being postponed which are not emergencies, though the government is reluctant to give figures.
Suman, 29, has been admitted to Jaipur's SMS hospital's neurological ward since Monday, waiting for a brain tumour to be operated.
"I have been here since Monday but my turn for an operation is not coming, and I don't think there is any chance till residents remain on duty," she said.
At the JLN Children's Hospital in Ajmer where 16 children died in a span of 12 days, parents of patients are especially worried by the strike. Residents provide round the clock services in the Intensive Care Units or ICUs, but now it is being managed largely by the nursing staff.
"Nobody is attending to my child, there is one lady doctor but she says she is new and if we ask for the senior doctor he is always on a round," said Sonam, whose new newborn is in the neonatal ICU for the past eight days.