Karnataka government doctors call off planned stir after state agrees to meet 13 of 14 demands

Among the primary demands of the organisation were amendments to the Cadre and Recruitment Rules, which have remained unchanged since ޵ filling vacancies; regular publication of seniority lists; and the appointment of a technical person as additional secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Department.

“The pending demand is to remove restrictions which prevent government doctors from providing inpatient treatment at private hospitals after duty hours. The government has said that it will look into it in the coming days and take a call,” Meti said.

Earlier in the day, Rao informed the Assembly that the Department had held two rounds of talks with the Association. “Some of their demands are related to decade-old issues, such as the 50-year-old Cadre and Recruitment Rules, the seniority list, which has been kept pending for 12 years and shortcomings in the counselling process during doctor transfers…. We are ready to do what we can,” he said, expressing confidence that the doctors would call off their protest.

The Association had announced a two-phased protest. Under Phase 1, doctors and health department employees threatened to suspend all OPD services at government hospitals, and primary healthcare centres. If the government failed to respond by then, the Association said it would boycott work from March 16.