If the striking government doctors do not report for duty on Thursday, it will be considered a break in service, and their posts will be declared vacant. The government will not hesitate to make fresh appointments to these posts through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB), Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar cautioned.
With the indefinite strike by doctors affiliated to the Federation of Government Doctors Association (FOGDA) entering its sixth day on Wednesday, the Minister told reporters, “The government has to ensure that patient care is uninterrupted. If the doctors continue to boycott work without any prior notice tomorrow, we will consider it as a break in service. The Health Secretary has already issued orders, and this will reach the deputy directors, joint directors and deans through circulars from the respective directorates.”
“There is time till 2 p.m. on Thursday. After this, a list of doctors, who have not turned up for duty, would be drawn up, and sent to the respective directorates of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Medical Education and Medical and Rural Health Services. The government will immediately declare the posts of these doctors vacant. We will not hesitate to fill these posts,” he added.
Already, 10,017 doctors had applied following a government notification for recruitment of doctors through the MRB, he said, adding: “They had appeared for the exams. Of this, we had issued appointment orders to nearly 1,850 persons. The remaining qualified persons are ready. If needed, new doctors will be appointed.”
Dr. Vijayabaskar said the government was ready to hold talks with the striking doctors after they withdraw their strike with no conditions. “We want the situation to return to normalcy. Our aim is not to take a stand against our doctors,” he added.
He said that FOGDA’s strike continued despite the government recognised association — Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association — withdrawing its their decision to strike work in the interest of patients. “Nearly 90% of doctors are affiliated to the TNGDA,” he said.
He noted that the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where the doctors are protesting was not a protest venue, and this was causing disturbance to the patients. “Preventing other doctors, who are willing to work, is unacceptable. We are not rejecting their demands. They should not ask that their demands should be fulfilled within a particular time frame,” the Minister said.
Earlier, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh directed the Directors of Medical Education, Medical and Rural Health Services and Public Health and Preventive Medicine to send necessary circulars to instruct medical officers to return to duty immediately. In the letter, she stated that certain government doctors are on strike from October 25. This was a violation of Rule 22 of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1973.
Strike to continue: FOGDA
On its part, FOGDAstated that it has decided to continue the indefinite strike and had sought the Chief Minister's intervention to sort the issue. A. Ramalingam, convenor, FOGDA, said that on August 27, the Health Minister had assured that their demands would be fulfilled in six weeks’ time. “We are asking the government to fulfil what they had assured us. If we are an unrecognised association, why did the government hold talks with us and give their assurance in writing,” he said.
