Government doctors in Haryana on Thursday decided to continue their State-wide indefinite strike, including the shutdown of emergency and post-mortem services, after a meeting with the Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister ended with no agreement reached on their major demands.
The marathon meeting between members of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA), a body representing government doctors in the State, and Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar lasted for more than five hours.
After the meeting, HCMSA president Rajesh Khyalia said the government handed over to them a notification reducing the bond amount for postgraduate courses from ₹1 crore to ₹50 lakh, but there was no agreement on other demands. “We had four demands, but the government agreed to only one. So, we have decided to continue the strike,” Mr. Khyalia said.
Mr. Khullar told The Hindu over phone that the representatives of the association were offered four solutions in response to their demand for a sixfold hike in conveyance allowance to ₹3,000 per month. He said the government also assured swift action in the creation of a specialist cadre for doctors, which was not on their agenda but would make their other two demands — four Assured Career Progression (ACP) increments and no direct recruitment of Senior Medical Officers — infructuous.
“Since the demand for a sixfold hike in conveyance allowance, which was fixed at ₹500 per month in 2016, is unreasonable, we offered solutions such as stationing two ambulances in each hospital or effecting the hike with certain conditions. Similarly, we offered the creation of the specialist cadre, which is awaiting nod from the Chief Minister’s Office. Doctors with an MD degree too can opt for this cadre, with higher salaries and better increments but no promotions. So, there will be sufficient vacancies for the promotion of doctors without MD degrees,” Mr. Khullar said.
He said the ACP structure for all government employees, including Haryana Civil Services officials, was the same, and there could not be a separate structure only for doctors. Similarly, 25% of Senior Medical Officer seats reserved for direct recruitment could not be filled through promotion in view of the Supreme Court orders against it in similar cases,” Mr. Khullar said.
He said the representatives agreed to discuss the offers and return to the Additional Chief Secretary, Health, for further talks.
The strike has hit services in State-run hospitals, with long queues outside out-patient departments, and people complaining of being treated by interns, retired doctors, or those undergoing postgraduate training.
