Doctors in government hospitals are going to boycott work from May 1 for two hours to get their demands for promotions, increase in salaries, non-practicing allowance (NPA) and increase in rural allowance fulfilled.
In 2011, they went on indefinite mass leave which continued for 11 days. But, again the doctors have decided to start their protest to fulfill their long pending demands. They will boycott work from 8 am to 10am.
The state government has recently increased the rural allowance from Rs 200 to Rs 500 per month. But doctors are demanding that the rural allowances be fixed at 25% of the basic salaries.
All Rajasthan in Service Doctors Association (ARISDA) general secretary Dr Nasrin Bharti said, “Doctors should get rural allowances so that they would be encouraged to work in far-flung areas. They are working in tough conditions in rural areas, so the rural allowance should be 25% of their basic salaries.”
The ARISDA officials said that the emergency services will not be affected by the boycott of work.
The ARISDA said that in the rural areas, the doctors are finding it difficult to work as they have to report to Panchayati Raj department officials and not the medical health and family welfare department.
The organizing secretary ARISDA Dr Ajay Chaudhary said, “Recently, the state government has directed the medical and health department officials in rural areas to report to Panchayati Raj department. But, we want that doctors should report to medical health and family welfare department only, as the officials of health department have more knowledge about medical issues than the Panchayati Raj institutions.”
Dr Chaudhary said, “There is confusion prevailing over whether to report to Panchayati Raj department or medical health and family welfare department. Since the confusion continues, doctors and other medical officials are reporting to both Panchayati Raj and health department. Moreover, in some areas, a block chief medical officer has to report to block development officer, who is a grade I or grade II officer. This hurts the doctors and discourages them to take up posting in rural areas.”
Also, the issue of opening of out-patient department in one shift (morning) rather than the current two shifts (morning and evening), is also a long pending demand of the doctors.
src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Doctors-to-strike-work-for-two-hours-from-May-1/articleshow/19794680.cms