Doctors in Health Service have decided to resume their non-cooperation strike from December 8 in protest against the government’s refusal to correct the “erroneous government order” regarding their pay, a statement issued by the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association has said.
The government order, which was issued following a settlement reached between the doctors and the government on September 22, after the former went on strike demanding that the anomalies regarding doctors’ pay in the recommendations of the Tenth Pay Commission be resolved, does not reflect the terms of settlement, the KGMOA said on Wednesday.
The main demand of the doctors is that their basic pay, which had been slashed following the recommendations of the Tenth Pay Commission, be restored.
There was no increase in the allowances of those working in casualty wings. Rural allowance is given only to those working in community health centres and taluk hospitals and the ratio of assistant surgeons to civil surgeons has not been corrected to 3:1. The KGMOA said that departmental promotion committees never met and doctors were denied rightful promotions and pay hikes.
The KGMOA alleged that the government was forcing doctors into the path of agitation again. As part of their non-cooperation, doctors will not take part in any of the work or activities related to the Aardram Mission or the Comprehensive Primary Health Care Programme.
Doctors will also not admit patients in pay wards and will boycott VIP duty, all medical camps except immunisation camps, review meetings, training programmes and medical boards outside the institution.
Unless the government issued a new order accepting the settlement terms it had earlier reached with doctors and fill the innumerable retirement vacancies through promotions, the doctors will have to intensify their agitation, the KGMOA said.
