Doctors on mass CL,health services hit

The health department deputed doctors from neighbouring institutions at some places but many health centres and hospitals,especially those in backward and tribal areas,did not have any doctors.

The government has decided to take a stern action against the doctors on strike as they had already been warned against such an “irresponsible action”.

Director,Health Services,Dr Vinod Pathak said: “We are collecting report from across the state and strict action will be taken against these doctors. If they do not return,we may even end their contracts and treat them as fresh appointees from the date they join back. With this,the period served by doctors in tribal and backward areas will not be counted in the special relaxation given to them for doing postgraduation after MBBS.”

While 24 of the 37 contractual and RKS doctors were on leave in Shimla,eight out of the 11 did not report to work in Hamirpur,said Pathak,adding that information from other places was yet to be received.

The main demand of these doctors working on contracts is regularisation of their jobs in a phased manner,as many of them have already served for five or more years. The government has now decided to abandon appointments on contract basis and through Rogi Kalyan Samitis and go for regular appointments through the HP Public Service Commission.

The doctors on contract want the government to regularise their services before appointing regular doctors. If this is not done,the doctors say,many of them who have been already working for the last few years will be treated as juniors to the new appointees.

“Out jobs will be regularised only after we have put in six years of service. But now that the government will appoint regular doctors only,the ones like us serving for the last over five years will not benefit as our regularisation is already due,” said Dr Sajid,spokesperson of the doctor’s body.

He clarified that the 400 RKS appointees and 65 doctors on contract were not on strike but on a mass casual leave.