Bihar doctors will go on strike from Wednesday morning to protest the 'failure' of the state government to secure the release of well-known neurosurgeon Dr Ramesh Chandra, who was abducted on Saturday night.

The Bihar unit of the Indian Medical Association decided on such a course of action after the 48-hour ultimatum given by it to the government to secure the release of Dr Chandra expired on Tuesday evening.

IMA president B Singh told rediff.com that doctors in government-run hospitals will also join the strike. He justified their action claiming that 14 doctors had been abducted in Bihar during the past 17 months.

"It is the state government's failure to protect doctors and provide security that has forced us to take such a hard decision," said Dr Bharat Singh, who was abducted in February this year and released after 48 hours when doctors went on strike.

Meanwhile, the Bihar government has declared the proposed strike by the doctors as illegal.

In a release the government said the strike is against the people, particularly the poor. The government also hinted that it may take action against striking doctors under the Essential Services Maintenance Act.