Junior doctors across the State have decided to boycott their duties, excluding emergency services, as part of an indefinite strike being observed from Thursday, to demand clear guidelines for posting them on rural service.
The agitation will continue till the government concedes to our demands, AP Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) General Secretary, G. Naresh Kumar said.
In support of their demands, junior doctors took part in a demonstration organised at Gandhi Hospital here today. They also besieged the office of the Director of Medical Education demanding the government address their grievances.
Specific issues
JUDA is requesting the government to look into specific issues like the criteria for posting a junior doctor at a rural area, salaries during the service period and provisions for accommodation and security.
“We are not against serving people in rural areas but the government should come out with specific guidelines and make the process clear. We will be at severe disadvantage if the present uncertainty continues,” Dr. Naresh said.
A government doctor receives a salary of Rs. 35,000 whereas junior doctors will be paid just Rs. 20,000 during their rural service. Apart from this, junior doctors will also lose one year service as their rural service period will not be counted as regular medical service, he said.
“A junior doctor will have a break of one year in their specialty training as rural areas do not have provisions for specialty treatments,” Dr. Naresh said, alleging that the government was pushing junior doctors into rural service without giving much thought to related problems.
