Government doctors in Haryana held a two-hour pen-down strike and shut OPD services due to the non-fulfilment of their demands on Thursday. Their main demands include stopping direct recruitment of senior medical officers (SMOs) and implementing the career progression scheme.
The strike, which was held between 9 am and 11 am, came after a call given by the Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS) Association. HCMS is an association which represents government doctors in the state.
The association had earlier announced that OPD services, except emergency, labour rooms and operations, would remain suspended. At several locations, OPD services were visibly affected.
Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president of the HCMS Association, said, “We have been demanding that there should be no direct recruitment of SMOs. A few years ago, Minister Anil Vij, who held the health department, had ordered that there be no direct recruitment of the SMOs, and last year, too, the government had agreed on this. But now, it is again planning the direct recruitment.”
He added that the association is also demanding implementation of the assured progression scheme. “Even after being approved by the chief minister, the scheme is stuck at the bureaucratic level and has not been implemented or notified,” he said.
Doctors from many government health institutions across the state took part in the strike, Khyalia said. He added that the association would soon decide its next steps regarding their demands.
The association stated that direct recruitment of SMOs would block the growth of hundreds of medical officers who are eligible for promotion after 20 years of service, creating severe stagnation in the cadre.
"This means that the majority of the doctors are limited to only one promotion, and it will lead to many taking a voluntary retirement from service due to the lack of promotional avenues," Khyalia said. He added that there is no provision anywhere in the country for direct entry at the SMO level.
Meanwhile, an official statement said the Haryana Health Department had made arrangements to ensure smooth services during the pen-down strike. Civil surgeons and principal medical officers were instructed to keep OPDs and all emergency services running so that patients did not face inconvenience.
The government also directed them to use the services of consultants and contract medical officers wherever needed. The statement said that around 400 doctors working under the national healthcare initiative were also deployed to manage OPD services.
Also Read: After athlete deaths, CM orders safety checks of sports complexes
Follow us
