More than 3000 doctors working in government hospitals of Haryana have gone on strike today in support of their long pending demands. During this period only emergency services will be available while OPD in hospitals will remain closed and doctors will not examine patients. However, along with emergency, trauma center and post-mortem house will also remain functional. Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) has warned that if their demands are not met, they will go on complete strike from December 29 as already declared. According to information, doctors have been protesting for long pending demands including a separate cadre for specialist doctors, increasing the rule of filling two bonds of Rs 1 crore each doing PG while in service to Rs 50 lakh, selection of senior medical officers through promotion instead of direct recruitment. However, government hospitals in twin city Ambala a home town of Home & Health Minister provided normal services to the patients
The doctors hworking in government hispitals in the state have warned that if their demands are not met, they will go on an indefinite strike from December 29 and If the health services are affected during strike period, the government will be responsible for it. In view of the doctors’ strike, the Director General of the Health Department has canceled the leaves of all government doctors and said If any doctor does not come for duty then he will be considered on strike. Under the leadership of District Head of Haryana Civil Medical Association, Dr. Vipin Gondwal all the doctors gathered outside the Civil Surgeon offices and expressed concern over government taking no action on their demands. Dr Gondwal said that doctors will be on strike in government hospitals across the state. Earlier, the doctors had conducted a two-hour symbolic strike on December 9 but the government had three weeks to fulfill their demands but the government did not take any decision regarding their demands. Doctors said that after talks with the government several months ago, the demands were agreed upon, but till date no demand has been fulfilled.
HCMSA members said that the attitude of the state government towards the doctors is not good due to delay in promotions, ACP and delay in chargesheet cases. They raised a question if a state like Bihar has fulfilled the pending demands of the doctors, then why is the state government Haryana retreating from it? it seema their demands are not being met deliberately as such they have decided to go on strike from 29th December. If the demands are still not accepted then we will be on indefinite strike from 29th December.
Among prominent demands by the doctors in hospitals include to constitute a specialists cadre since there is acute shortage of specialists in government hospitals in the state, ban over direct appointments of SMOs since 95% doctors in government hospitals getting retirement without holding the charge of SMO, for PG the amount of monbey should be reduced to Rs 50 lakh instead of Rs One crore, being shortage of doctors in government hospitals they have to often work in double shifts as such they are overburdened, doctors in government hospitals are not getting ACPand large number of files are dumped with the finance department, there is acute shortage of medicines as well as medical instruments in government hospitals in the state which should be fulfilled without delay.
