After two hours pen down strike by the doctors in few government hospitals, Dr Rajesh Khyalia president of Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) has given ultimatum to the state government in support of their nearly half dozen demands for observing a complete shutdown of all health services including OPD and emergency services for an indefinite period in all hospitals in the state with effect from December 29, 2023 onwards if their long pending demands are not fulfilled prior to this date. According to Association members, the government doctors across the state would be forced to do a complete shutdown of outpatient departments and emergency services from December 27 if the state government did not consider their demands.
The demands include bond amount for postgraduate courses be withdrawn, fulfill the shortage of specialist doctors in government hospitals, and stopping direct recruitments of senior medical officers, Assured Career Profession (ACP) brenefits to the doctors not given in Haryana state on completion of four, nine, thirteen and twenty years to be offered by the government in centre and Bihar state, to fulfill shortage of doctors and the medicines in government hospitals, over burden of work to the doctors when many times they are compelled to give double duty during a day.
Dr Khyalia said the demands of the association include a reduction in the bond amount for postgraduate courses, addressing the issue of shortage of specialists and stopping direct recruitments of senior medical officers (SMO), make a sepasrate cadre for the specialists, increased amenities to the doctors since many times doctors have to provide double duty continuously due to shortge of doctors and para medical staff. He said that during service period hardly 5% of medical officers are getting promotions as senior medical officers and nearly 95% doctors are getting retirement without promotion as senior medical officer.s
Association general secretary Dr Anil Yadav, too, in a communication to the state government said there is an immense shortage of specialists and para-medical staff in government hospitals in Haryana and the association has been requesting the state government to take concrete steps to get specialists in the cadre. He said, two years ago, the chief minister Haryana had also announced the formation of a specialist cadre, unfortunately no measures have been taken by the government even after two years, he said the doctors in government hospitals are overburdened and poor people are deprived of quality services.
Dr Yadav said that the association has been demanding assured career progression (ACP) and the proposal was approved by the health minister and CM long ago and is srill pending with the finance department. He added that doctors have to submit two bonds of one crore each for pursuing in-service post-graduate courses and this bond amount is very high and it is very difficult for the doctors to arrange it, as such the bond amount as per the previous policy be restored and resolve the issues amicably within 15 days. In case the government does not resolve the issues in a time-bound manner then the association will be forced to do a complete shutdown of all health services in the hospitals from December 29.
