Shimla, Oct 10
Health Services are affected in the State of Himachal Pradesh due to a pen down strike in all State hospitals including Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital. Report arriving here said that health services are affected across all the districts. The resident doctors have warned the administration that if their demands are not met then they would not go to OPD on Tuesday.
In such a situation, patients may have to face more problems. Pertinent to mention that IGMC doctors cater to a OPD of around 3000 patients every day. More than 100 patients come here for emergency treatment, per day.
President of Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) Dr. Anupam Bandhan said in a press release that doctors will do a one and a half hour pen down strike in IGMC and across all PHCs on Monday. He informed that before going to strike, the doctors had met Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for their demands but the concerns have not been resolved so far.
HMOA stated that they have been pressing for implementation of pay and promotions scale as per grade pay, which was indiscriminately withdrawn in the new pay commission. They are also demanding increase in the rate of postgraduate allowance for specialist doctors as the same has not been increased since many years.
On October 4, this year, these doctors also went on a mass leave. They are demanding immediate release of academic allowance. The same though has been increased from Rs 7500/- to Rs 18000/-, but the doctors working in medical colleges have yet not been paid the same.
Meanwhile, reports here suggest that the health secretary has already being directed by the Chief Minister to follow the demands, but even after three days, he has not spoken to the forum. The doctors union also warned Government that the time given for the pen down strike is ending on Monday and a complete strike would cause suffering to patients who are already on receiving end. ” Though emergency health services will continue,” they added.
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