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| Doctors’ Govt horn locked, health services at crippled | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu Oct 12
As the deadlock between doctors and government continued the ongoing eight-day long indefinite strike by government doctors on Monday has affected the health care not only in city but also in its peripheries in the district.
Over 3000 doctors, demanding revision in their pay packages, intensified their agitation after talks to break the deadlock failed on Sunday.
"All emergency services in the peripheral institutions of the province have been brought under the purview of strike from today as a protest against irresponsible and suppressive attitude of the government," spokesman of Doctors Joint Action Committee (DJAC) Dr Neeraj Sharma said. It needs to mention that Minister for Health Education R S Chib has described the mass resignation from doctors as a ‘drama to pressurize the state government.’
This was necessitated because of failure of talks with the government, he said, adding, two-hour-long meeting between a delegation of DJAC and the Minister for Medical Education R S Chib here did not yield any positive results. He reiterated DJAC will continue their strike until their demand, including time bound promotion, is accepted by the state government.
He however added that more doctors from Government Medical College (GMC), other associated hospitals and those serving in peripheral institutions of the province will submit their resignations but we are open to talks also and as the negotiations are on we have adopted a wait and watch policy. Earlier, about 300 junior doctors have already tendered their resignations, Sharma said.
However, Chib said that he assured DJAC representatives that the government is actively considering their demand and any announcement in this regard would be made at the time of bi-annual meeting in November. On the other hand he had described the strike wrong and premature as the government is considering their demands.
The minister said that he told the representatives that their two demands regarding change of pay band and enhancement of stipend appeared to be genuine.
Now it is their choice whether to join the duties or keep on striking work, the minister said.
The DJAC among other things has been demanding change of pay band, introducing a law to make assault on health personnel a non-bailable offence, and payment of arrears from January 2006.
Meanwhile, the health services across Jammu continued to remain paralysed today, official sources said, adding, the Out Patients Department (OPD) remained shut in the city hospitals as doctors stayed away from the work.
However, emergency wards were operating in the hospitals, the sources said.
The strike has badly hit the poor patients, who could not pay fee of doctors at the private clinics.
Meanwhile a delegation of All residents doctors association (ARDA) of Acharaya Sri Chandra College of Medical Sciences (ASCOM’s) Sidhra today met the striking resident doctors of government medical college (Jammu) and expressed solidarity and support to their legitimate demands.
The delegation led by its president Dr. Sanjay K. Bhat along with general secretary Dr. Vikas Jamwal urged upon the authorities that an early and amicable solution with the striking doctors is in the best interest of the public and professionals. They said authorities and administration should recognize the value of junior doctors of the entire state.
The demands of the agitating doctors include change of pay band from Pay Band 2 to Pay Band 3, integration of PG stipend with that of an Assistant Surgeon in Pay Band 3, payment of arrears with effect from January 1, 2006, one grade pay higher for MBBS doctors as recommended by S L Bhat Committee, time bound promotion for doctors at 5, 10 and 15 years, law to make assault on health personnel a non-bailable offence, departmental elevation of all doctors from time to time to consultants, senior consultants and B grade specialists according to their qualification and rationalisation of the use of apron by the hospital staff—separate colour of aprons for different staff groups.
Meanwhile, Specialist Doctors Association of Jammu Province appealed to the Government and agitating doctors to come on negotiation table to end the deadlock.
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