Patna, Aug 30 - Thirty two patients admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) have died amid a strike by junior doctors that entered its fourth day Sunday, authorities said.

'Eleven patients died in the last 24 hours alone (Saturday and Sunday) due to lack of doctors and treatment in the hospital,' a government official said.

Six patients died during the first 12 hours of the strike beginning Wednesday, followed by 15 on Thursday and Friday, he said.

The official said lack of doctors in the emergency ward led to most deaths. But the government is yet to confirm a single death due to the ongoing strike.

More than 400 junior doctors went on an indefinite strike Wednesday evening, demanding a hike in stipend and payment of salary instead of stipend.

'We are not going to end the strike following the state government's decision to raise stipend. We want the state government to pay monthly salary to us instead of stipend,' PMCH Junior Doctors Association president Rajiv Babu said Sunday.

A leader of the junior doctors' association said their demand for hike in stipend has been pending for the last couple of years now.