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Termination notices were today issued to striking medicos in state-run hospitals in the capital, even as the Delhi government today came out with ads for recruiting junior and senior doctors to cope with the situation.

"The medical superintendents in Delhi government hospitals have started issuing notices to the striking doctors this morning," health secretary D S Negi said.

Notices were issued to the more than 700 doctors who are on strike to resume duty within 24 hours or face termination of service. The government also came out with ads in newspapers today for recruiting junior and senior doctors, Negi said, adding that interviews for hiring new doctors will be held on May 24. As for the government's request to the defence ministry for doctors to man the strike-affected hospitals in Delhi, the health secretary said that the Army has said it can give doctors for one hospital at a time.

"The Army has asked us to give a concrete proposal on lending its doctors for the Delhi government hospitals. It has said the Army doctors can be deployed in only one hospital at a time. We are examining it," Negi said.

There are 45 hospitals under the Delhi government, of which the three teaching hospitals LNJP, GTB and DDU are the worst affected by the strike.